Completed in October 2024, the North Interceptor Improvement Project in Newburgh, New York, is an upgraded sewer system that enables development of the city’s historic districts and helps protect the Hudson River watershed. PENETRON ADMIX SB, a crystalline waterproofing admixture, and Penetron’s antimicrobial concrete admixture protect the new precast concrete pipes from corrosive effluent and microbially induced corrosion.
Located on the Hudson River, 60 miles (97 km) north of New York City, the city of Newburgh has a population of around 29,000 and features numerous historic landmarks, including Washington's Revolutionary War headquarters, the New York State Armory, and Newburgh Colored Burial Ground. George Washington and Franklin Delano Roosevelt both spent time here, and Ulysses S. Grant, Robert Kennedy, and Theodore Roosevelt also visited. The city served as a center of the Gothic Revival architectural movement in America, and many architecturally significant buildings can still be spotted throughout Newburgh.
In 2016, the city requested help from the EPA under the Superfund, which allowed the agency to clean up Newburgh’s PFOS contaminated water supply. The resulting North Interceptor Sewer Improvement Project became one of the most significant clean water projects in New York State.
The $32 million project installed 8,700 linear feet of new, larger-gravity sanitary piping. This renewal of the city’s underground sewer infrastructure also provided significant street upgrades, including the narrowing of over-wide streets to calm traffic, reducing paved surfaces, and adding additional parking where none previously existed.
“The realigned sewer system will help facilitate the redevelopment and restoration of Newburgh, which has had a history of failed urban renewal efforts,” explains Richard Farmer, Eastern Region Sales Manager for Penetron USA. “The North Interceptor Sewer Improvement Project benefits the entire Hudson Valley with increased wastewater capacity to foster responsible development, improve water quality, and protect environmental habitats.”
During the planning phase, Arcadis, the project engineers, required protection from thiobacillus bacteria in the effluent environment to prevent microbially induced corrosion in the precast concrete sewer pipes. Because a competitive product was originally specified, Penetron and A&R Precast, the precast concrete supplier, submitted a substitution request for a combination of Penetron’s crystalline waterproofing and antimicrobial concrete admixtures.
Microbial induced corrosion (MIC) can cause rapid deterioration of concrete structures exposed to the corrosive sewer environment, potentially exposing the embedded steel reinforcement to corrosion and eventual structural failure. Penetron’s antimicrobial admixture prevents MIC through an electro-physical destruction mechanism that ruptures the cell-walls of acid-producing bacteria (thiobacillus bacteria). This eliminates bacterial growth on and in concrete, preventing biogenic sulfuric acid formation and related damage known as MIC.
A&R Precast subsequently added PENETRON ADMIX SB and Penetron’s antimicrobial admixtures to ensure the necessary protection for the precast concrete sewer piping.
“The Penetron antimicrobial admixture becomes part of the concrete matrix and is leach resistant – remaining effective even after repeated contact with bacteria,” adds Richard Farmer. “In addition, the enhanced durability of the concrete due to PENETRON ADMIX SB minimizes the need for future repairs of the treated concrete structures.”
