The Hopewell Water Remediation Project in Hopewell Junction, New York, continues to stand as a major environmental infrastructure success, having restored access to safe drinking water for hundreds of residents affected by groundwater contamination linked to the Hopewell Precision Superfund Site. The project connected more than 300 homes and businesses to the municipal water supply through the installation of over nine miles of new water mains, a 200-gallon-per-minute pump station, a 310,000-gallon water storage tank, and associated service connections. With the contaminated private wells now decommissioned and long-term monitoring continuing under federal and state oversight, the project remains a key component of ongoing remediation efforts aimed at protecting public health and supporting environmental recovery in the Hopewell Junction area.

Such projects also stand out with the increased construction of data centers and semiconductor facilities across the United States. Most of these tech facilities are also taking initiative to look out for public health interests. An example would be Micron’s wastewater treatment plant in Clay, New York that will serve the semiconductor company’s new US$20 billion fabrication facility.

Conti Federal Completes Hopewell Water Remediation Project in New York

Reported March 14, 2022 – A U.S. government construction and engineering firm, named Conti Federal Services, has recently made public the completion of its Hopewell water remediation project in New York.

This company, which is experienced in environmental remediation projects, disaster response and recovery, as well as the implementation of critical infrastructure, was awarded this water project in 2017, by Kansas City District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and the Environmental Protection Agency.

The Hopewell water remediation project was initiated as a result of a cloudy mass of volatile organic compound (VOC) that got exposed to the groundwater and began contaminating and affecting private drinking water wells. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency identified that this contaminant was emanating from the Hopewell precision Superfund Site, and over 300 residences had to be connected to the municipal water system in Hopewell Junction.

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Scope of the Hopewell Water Remediation Project

The Hopewell water remediation project was intended to provide an alternative water supply to residences affected by the groundwater contamination. The construction process involved the installation of more than nine miles of 12-inch and 8-inch ductile iron pipes, connected to an elaborate 200-gallon-per-minute pump station, designed to push water through the system.

The development plans for the Hopewell water remediation project also included the construction of a 2-story high meter vault/chlorination station, a cast-in-place pre-stressed concrete water storage tank, with a volume of 310,000 gallons. In addition, HDPE service lines ranging from 1.25 inches to four inches, spanning over 46,000 linear feet were linked to individual residences and businesses from the mainline.

Conti Federal also oversaw the process of disconnecting the individual well lines and the connection of the new water lines into each residence or business. Each property owner was also communicated with, to determine the entry point of the new water service line and the connection to the existing plumbing system.

Decommissioning of Polluted Residential Wells

The majority of the Hopewell water remediation project was carried out during the  COVID pandemic and the company was able to work, according to all the established guidelines of New York State at that time.

The last phase of the Hopewell water remediation project was the decommissioning of polluted residential wells to prevent any future use. After assessing the well-decommissioning process, Conti Federal found it easier to increase the rate of good closures on a daily basis by up to eight times, when their Warrior Lean construction management system was used.

About 302 homes were successfully connected to the city’s water after the project reached completion and all private drinking water wells were decommissioned successfully.