Wastewater Treatment

The Upper Gwynedd Township Wastewater Treatment Facility has been servicing the Township for almost half a Century.  Located off Township Line Road, in the southeast section of the Township, the Treatment Facility discharges its high quality effluent to the Wissahickon Creek. The Facility operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and is currently staffed with ten employees under the direction of Dan Farris, Director of Wastewater Operations. The Facility is equipped to handle 6.7 million gallons a day of sewage. The Facility not only handles Upper Gwynedd but also services portions of Worcester, Whitpain, Lower Gwynedd, and Montgomery Townships. There is currently over 90 miles of sewer lines and 9 pump stations which convey the sewage for treatment. The treatment plant is equipped with a state-of-the-art BioMag system which assists the plant in maintaining high quality effluent even during peak flows. The highly qualified & dedicated staff is made up of a team of mechanics, operators, and an instrumentation electrician. 

Along with the continued operation of the Facility, Staff is responsible for the maintenance of all conveyance lines in the Township to insure uninterrupted service for its customers. These efforts include the cleaning and televising of sewer lines to prevent blockages. On-going inspections help to avert potential problems. Upper Gwynedd's concern for the environment and the issues we face today is certainly reflected in the efforts of Staff at the Wastewater Facility.

Dan Farris, Director of Wastewater Treatment

Dan Farris comes to Upper Gwynedd Township with over 45 years of experience in the Wastewater Treatment Plant industry. Dan started out his Wastewater career at East Norriton Plymouth Sewer Authority and became an operator in 1981. Over the years, he served as solids handling operator, plant operator, laboratory supervisor, and assistant superintendent. Dan was presented with the opportunity to be the Superintendent at Limerick Township’s sewer plant. In 1988, Limerick had no sewers, and he was part of the team that built two treatment plants and 23 pump stations. He enjoyed this opportunity to operate, staff the facilities, and train the staff. After providing sewer service to an entire Township, he decided to pursue another goal and went to work for Environmental Engineering & Management Associates. Through EEMA he served in the roles of construction management, operations assistance, Interim shift supervisor at Delaware County Regional Authority, Interim superintendent at Exeter Township, Ambler Borough, and DELCORAS. Dan also oversaw the startup of the City of Reading’s new 45 MGD activated sludge facility and the operation training for its 80 employees.

Dan eventually started running a part time family business “Farris Enterprises Water & Wastewater service” with his late wife, Lynda and his daughter Katrina which provides backflow device testing and repair, water and wastewater services to municipalities and engineering companies. Dan said that when he first entered the wastewater business, his family routinely listened to these weekly reports on water quality to see if you could go into the lakes, rivers, and oceans. The Clean Streams Law changed that, and he was lucky to be a part of that.

Dan over the years has been the recipient of many awards by the State of Pennsylvania and the Eastern Section of Water Pollution Control. He achieved the EPA Operations Excellence Award, Operator of the Year, Ted Moses High Hat Award, A.E Bud Fricker Award, and other Collections System and Safety Awards. Being a true expert in this field, Dan has always wanted to grow the knowledge and skills of other young aspiring operators. Dan worked as a wastewater operator instructor at Montgomery County Community College and served as the past president & education committee chair on the Eastern PA Water Pollution Control Association. In 2022, Dan took the full-time position as Director of Wastewater Treatment to bring his career full circle. He comes with the goal to train and mentor the very skilled and driven early professional staff members of the UGT wastewater team.

On a personal note, Dan is a longtime resident of Worcester Township. He is very dedicated and committed to his family. He enjoys spending his time outdoors and still loves to ride his Harley Davidson.