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City of Gardner, Massachusetts Mayor Daniel J.
Kelley Population: 21,000 City Contact: DESCRIPTION OF PARTNERSHIP
ARRANGEMENT The City of Gardner, on October 28, 1998,
entered into a 20-year Partnership with Earth Tech, Inc. to operate a 5-mgd
wastewater treatment plant and to design, build, and operate a 3-mgd drinking
water plant. The advanced secondary treatment wastewater facility services the
populations of Gardner, Ashburnham, and a portion of Templeton. Earth Tech is
responsible for the 75-mile sewerage collection network and pump stations.
The water filtration plant uses an ultrafiltration membrane method for
purification. The cost to design and construct the new 3-mgd plant is $9
million. Earth Tech will transfer the facility back to the City of Gardner at
the end of the 20-year Partnership. Earth Tech is responsible for the 82-mile
water distribution pipe network, as well as booster pump stations and storage
tanks.
ESTIMATED/ACTUAL COST SAVINGS—
Capital Upgrades, Consumer Rates, and
Fees
Capital improvements to be performed by
Earth Tech for the wastewater system are valued at $300,000. Cost savings on the
$1.1 million per year operation costs are estimated at $11 million over 20
years. Earth Tech was also able to save Gardner $3 million on construction of
the water treatment plant. Rate setting remains the responsibility of the City.
Earth Tech will install 5,000 outside-reading meters during the first eighteen
months of this contract. No concession fees were paid in the
Partnership. LABOR RELATIONS Earth Tech employs 17
workers at the two facilities. Employment opportunities with equal or better
packages were offered to all employees prior to the Partnership. The employees
currently are not represented by a labor union. |
J. Thomas Cochran, Executive Director
1620 Eye Street, NW, Washington, DC 20006
Telephone (202) 293-7330, FAX (202) 293-2352
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