IBM Closing Endicott Groundwater Treatment Facility

Construction crews are installing new piping in Endicott as IBM prepares to shut down one of its groundwater treatment facilities in the village.

The work comes just after the company shut down its last offices in the community referred to as "The Birthplace of IBM."

The company has spent millions of dollars in recent decades to clean up chemical contamination that originated at IBM's North Street manufacturing complex.

Excavation operations in the area of Monroe Street began a few weeks ago.

In a statement provided to WNBF News, IBM said the remediation work it has been conducting over the years in Endicott "has resulted in significant improvements in groundwater quality."

The statement said as a result of the improvements, IBM is in the process of closing the Garfield Avenue groundwater treatment facility. That is one of three such facilities the company now operates in the village.

As part of the process of shutting down the treatment facility, new groundwater conveyance piping is being installed. The piping will route groundwater which has been going to the Garfield Avenue site to IBM's treatment facility on Adams Avenue.

The conveyance piping project is scheduled to be completed early next year.

The IBM statement did not indicate how much the installation of new piping will cost.

Ramboll, the project contractor, has advised the Endicott village engineer of details associated with the work. Traffic patterns in the construction zone have occasionally been disrupted due to the project.

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Contact WNBF News reporter Bob Joseph: bob@wnbf.com. For breaking news and updates on developing stories, follow @BinghamtonNow on Twitter.