In September 2023, Woodard & Curran partnered with the City of Orange Township, New Jersey to operate the city’s water treatment and distribution system, wastewater collection system, and maintenance of its stormwater outfalls. Since this is our fourth current operations contract in New Jersey, the city now has additional tools and resources from other Woodard & Curran projects in which to draw upon.
The project team Woodard & Curran assembled is committed to the city’s mission “to serve the citizens of Orange with cleaner neighborhoods and infrastructure enhancements that improve the quality of life and make this vibrant community even better.” As we manage the city’s drinking water facility, we will treat for emerging contaminants (such as PFAS) to ensure their water is safe for all to drink. As we manage the distribution system, we will flush each hydrant annually to ensure the city is prepared for emergencies, as well as ensuring the public water tastes great.
Commercial and residential wastewater is collected via a gravity sewer system and conveyed to the Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission (PVSC) for treatment. Our team will safeguard the sewers with proper preventative and corrective maintenance and operate the system in line with permit requirements so the city can optimize its utility budget to prevent large, out-of-cycle capital expenditures. The team will also inspect and maintain more than 500 stormwater catch basins across the city, protecting water quality in nearby rivers and streams.
In an effort to empower the city with more utility data and information, our engineering and intelligent services teams are implementing the first Power Business Intelligence (BI) dashboard in Orange so the city can better understand real-time operations, work order effectiveness, and budget management specific to operations and revenue collections. We are also conducting a comprehensive evaluation of existing maintenance practices, recommending improvements to extend the useful life of equipment, and developing a Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) that will prioritize equipment for repair or replacement, further protecting the city’s infrastructure investment.
Woodard & Curran is excited to collaborate with Orange officials as the contract operators of its water utilities. We look forward to helping them achieve their goals and deliver upon their promise to the community.
