Van Cleef provided engineering, PADEP permitting, grant funding and reimbursement administration, procurement coordination, and construction-phase services for replacement of the Portland Borough Wastewater Treatment Plant’s aging headworks mechanical fine screen. 

The existing screen had experienced repeated mechanical failures, had been rebuilt several times, allowed debris to pass around the sides, and required frequent manual cleaning and handling by plant operators. The project installed a modern automated auger-style fine screening system with integrated spray washing, enclosed screenings conveyance, and a clean bagged discharge arrangement. New controls provide hand and automatic operation, timer- and level-based control, emergency-stop protection, and equipment alarms. Construction was carefully sequenced around the active headworks so the treatment plant remained in continuous operation.

The project substantially improved preliminary treatment, debris capture, operator safety, cleanliness, and long-term maintenance at the facility.