Background | The Town of Mount Hope is located in the northwestern part of Orange County, NY. It is approximately 25 square miles, with a population of about 7,000. The Town is primarily residential with large swaths of open land and farms. Commerce is centered in the Village of Otisville’s business district.
Pitingaro and Doetsch Consulting Engineers, P.C. serves as the Town Engineer for the Town of Mount Hope. As Town Engineer, our firm provides general consulting on all municipal projects, from wastewater treatment improvements to the development of a new recreation center. Jason A. Pitingaro, PE, principal of p+d, provided design services for the upgrade of the municipally owned and operated Hidden Valley Wastewater Treatment Plant. The plant was one of the first membrane bioreactor treatment plants to be designed and constructed in New York State. We also provide engineering services for the Planning Board, including project review and construction inspection for projects ranging from residential construction to 5.0 MW AC solar installations.
Challenges | As a Town that is more residential than commercial or industrial, Mount Hope contends with the challenge of maintaining its infrastructure while minimizing the tax burden to its hardworking residents. It is also classified as a Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) urbanized area, and as such it must maintain a stormwater management plan and prepare annual MS4 reports for the NYSDEC per federal law, and its Hidden Valley Wastewater Treatment Plant must meet strict effluent limits. Despite these limitations, the Town continues to provide community facilities such as the new recreation center through grants and carefully budgeted Town funding. The Town also assumes the responsibility of balancing development and economic growth with the preservation of the its rural character and protection of its residents’ interests.
Solutions | p+d advises the Supervisor, Town Boards and Planning Boards to assist with decision making and provides technical guidance using lessons learned from implementing similar strategies in other communities. We offer cost-effective solutions by evaluating life cycle cost and the actual long-term needs of the community. Specifically, the principals of p+d have designed an upgrade at the Hidden Valley WWTP facility, moving from sodium hypochlorite disinfection to UV disinfection as well as adding post aeration to allow the plant to meet new, stricter effluent limits. We also update the Town’s annual MS4 report, and we have designed new locker facilities for the existing police station and a new community recreation center.