Plant Tour
The Chalfont-New Britain Township Joint Sewage Authority’s Advanced Wastewater Treatment Facility has capacity to treat 4.625 Million Gallons-Per-Day (MGD) annual average daily flow. The plant utilizes physical, chemical and biological unit processes to treat the influent wastewater and achieve the effluent quality that is required by Federal and State regulations.
Effluent limits, as required for stream discharge:
Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) – 7 mg/l
Suspended Solids- 30 mg/l
Ammonia – 2 mg/l
Nitrate+Nitrite – 9 mg/l
Phosphorus – 1.0 mg/l
Fecal Coliform – 200ct/100ml
pH – range of 6-9
Dissolved Oxygen – 5 mg/l (minimum)
Receiving stream – Neshaminy Creek
The Authority also owns and maintains over 70 miles of sanitary sewer mains, along with 6 remote pumping stations. There are approximately 4500 connected customers in the Borough of Chalfont and New Britain Township. The Authority also accepts additional wastewater through agreements with other municipalities and Authorities; with a total population served of approximately 30,000 residents in the central Bucks County region.
Visit our Facility!
Would you like to schedule a tour for your high school class, scout troop, or senior group? Contact us!
Take a Virtual Tour*
Click the links below to see a slide show.
*NOTE: The Tour “Slide Show” may not work properly using Internet Explorer. If it does not, try another browser. Google Chrome and Firefox produce the best viewing experience.
Download our PROCESS SCHEMATIC (PDF)
A Brief History
The CNBTJSA was jointly formed, in 1962, by the Borough of Chalfont, and New Britain Township, for the purpose of financing and constructing a sewage collection system and treatment plant for the community. The initial facilities, including a 0.7 mgd treatment plant and 20 miles of sewer mains, were completed in 1967 with the aid of a federal grant.
The plant was doubled in size to 1.4 mgd in 1969, as a result of an inter-municipal agreement with the Bucks County Water and Sewer Authority to treat flow from New Britain Borough and the Townships of Doylestown, Buckingham, and Plumstead, communities served by the BCWSA.
Additional expansions, upgrades, and major construction projects proceeded as follows:
1972 – Re-rate capacity to 2.0 mgd with chemical precipitation addition.
1982 – Construction of Equalization Tanks, and additional Sludge Digestion and Settling Tank facilities.
1983 – Administration Building and Truck Storage Garage constructed.
1988 – Major Expansion to 4.0 mgd. Federal grant money received. Treatment was upgraded to include nutrient removal. Added processes include: Oxidation Ditch, Final Settling, Chlorination/De-chlorination, Sludge Thickening, Belt Presses.
1999 – Ultraviolet Disinfection replaced the Chlorination/De-chlorination facility.
2001 – Replacement of Belt Presses with Centrifuges.
2002 – New Main Pumping Station, replacing the existing station. Improvements included increased pumping capacity, influent metering and fine screening.
2003 – Construction of the Dryer Building, and installation of a BioSolids Dryer.
2009 – Construction of an additional 10 mgd Final Clarifier.
2011 – Replacement of the 1999 Ultraviolet Disinfection system with a new UV system and building.
2014 – Plant Expansion (Phase 2) to 4.625 MGD. Improvements included retrofitting of old treatment units into aerobic/anoxic zones as additional capacity to the activated sludge process. Significant improvements to electrical control systems were added including a SCADA system.
2018 – Phase 3 project completed. Improvements include a dried biosolids storage building, an effluent screen, odor control systems, an additional generator, energy-efficient lighting, sludge holding tanks and other maintenance and improvement projects.
2021 – Installation of a new BioSoids Dryer, replacing the 2003 unit.
