The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently recognized the Town of Peralta for their $3 million Regional Sanitary Sewer Project funded through the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) program. The project was selected as part of the Performance and Innovation in the SRF Creating Environmental Success (PISCES) program which recognized exceptional projects funded by the CWSRF at the national level. Molzen Corbin has assisted the Town with their sewer system from the beginning with master planning, funding assistance, previous phases of design/construction, and served as the lead engineering firm for this project, responsible for the design and construction oversight. This project was financed with a $3 million CWSRF grant/loan administered by the New Mexico Environment Department – Construction Programs.
The Town of Peralta had no wastewater collection or treatment system, and individual homes were using aging septic systems that were not properly maintained. Many shallow domestic wells were densely located among these septic systems, which created a risk of drinking water contamination. A traditional gravity sewer collection system with lift stations was cost prohibitive due to the shallow groundwater depth and narrow rights-of-way, so the new regional sanitary sewer collection system utilizes a low-pressure grinder pump system. This low-pressure system includes two-inch to eight-inch diameter collection lines which are installed at a depth of three to four feet below finished grade.
Peralta entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with the neighboring Village of Bosque Farms to allow Peralta to connect to their sewer system and wastewater treatment plant (WWTP), as Bosque Farms had the capacity to treat additional flow. This intermunicipal agreement demonstrates regional planning to address significant public health concerns for local residents. Molzen Corbin played a critical role in advancing the agreement as it serves as the on-call engineer for both municipalities.