The North River Wastewater Resource Recovery Facility is one of New York City’s most critical treatment plants, serving Manhattan’s West Side along the Hudson River. To strengthen safety, reliability, and long-term maintainability, the NYC DEP is undertaking a multi-year reconstruction and modernization of the facility’s power distribution systems.

ELECSYS is providing electrical engineering, power-system study support, and design-phase services as part of the consultant team. The project focuses on upgrading key components of the plant’s electrical service and distribution network, including medium-voltage equipment in Electrical Rooms 13A and 13B, the main substation, and additional areas such as Electrical Room 17.

Working closely with NYC DEP and the prime consultant, ELECSYS is modeling existing and proposed electrical systems, developing power distribution concepts, and preparing construction documents that support safe, phased implementation while the plant remains fully operational. A core deliverable is the update and expansion of the facility’s SKM Power Tools model to reflect current conditions and planned improvements.

Using the model, the team is performing comprehensive power studies—including load flow, short-circuit, motor starting, protective-device coordination, harmonic analysis, and arc-flash and shock-hazard risk assessments—to confirm compliance with National Electrical Code, National Fire Protection Association standards, utility requirements, and NYC DEP criteria.

Based on these results, ELECSYS is developing one-line diagrams, equipment layouts, feeder routing, and detailed design packages to guide replacement of critical switchgear, transformers, motor control centers, and feeders. The design emphasizes constructability and staging to minimize outages, preserve treatment capacity, and deliver a more resilient electrical backbone for decades to come.