The Western Regional Treatment Plant in Chester, PA, was completed in July 2023. The facility is a key part of the Delaware County Regional Water Quality Control Authority efforts to add much-needed treatment capacity and comply with more stringent EPA environmental guidelines. PENETRON ADMIX SB, a crystalline waterproofing admixture, was specified to protect all concrete structures exposed to water and effluent.
Both Delaware and Chester Counties in the southeastern corner of Pennsylvania are part of the Philadelphia metropolitan area. Delaware County is located within the Delaware River watershed and borders Philadelphia; Chester County consists of numerous watersheds that also drain to the Delaware River basin. The Delaware County Regional Water Quality Control Authority (DELCORA) owns, operates, and maintains stormwater and sewage collection systems that serve approximately a half million people across 46 municipalities, all within the Philadelphia metropolitan area.
Faced with the rising costs of outsourcing wastewater treatment to the Philadelphia Water Department (PWD) and the repair costs to current infrastructure, including the Chester PA plant, DELCORA mandated the construction of a new 44-million gallons per day (MGD) treatment plant to comply with new environmental regulations from the EPA and U.S. Justice Department mandates.
“DELCORA took a big step to invest in local wastewater treatment infrastructure to best meet the more stringent EPA guidelines,” says Christopher Chen, Director of The Penetron Group.
Construction of the $33.5 million Western Regional Treatment Plant in Chester, PA, was carried out by Allan Myers, the general contractor. Allan Myers contacted Penetron for a reliable waterproofing solution for the new concrete elements of the new plant. After reviewing the cost benefits, and the on-site technical support available from Penetron, PENETRON ADMIX SB was specified to treat all concrete tanks and channels exposed to water and effluent, including the clarifier and a grit tank. Heritage Concrete, the ready-mix concrete supplier, added PENETRON ADMIX SB, in soluble bags, to the mix during the batching phase.
“The simplified dosing and quick integration enabled by the soluble bag packaging speeds up the batching process to help keep the project on schedule,” adds Christopher Chen.
Concrete structures in a wastewater treatment plant are continually exposed to an aggressive environment that includes chlorides, sulfates, nitrates, as well as disinfectants, an array of corrosive compounds and various chemicals added during the plant’s treatment processes. Adding PENETRON ADMIX SB to the concrete mix reduces concrete permeability, increases chemical resistance, and enables self-sealing of any hairline cracks to enhance the durability of these key concrete components.
“Thanks to the fool-proof dosage of the soluble bags and Penetron’s success with similar projects in the region – and across the USA – the construction of the Western Regional Treatment Plant in Chester was a success,” concludes Christopher Chen.
