Municipal and plant officials continue to look for  the cause of the May 16 collapse of a 100-ft wall at the wastewater  treatment plant serving Binghamton and Johnson City, N.Y.  The event  triggered a 580,000-gal spill of partially treated wastewater into a  local creek and the nearby Susquehanna River.

Four of the plants 20 filtration cells were destroyed when the 15-ft tall, 18-in thick wall fell.

A post-construction quality audit of the plant,  issued in February by LMK Engineers LLC of Pottstown, Pa., found more  than 150 deficiencies that it blamed on inadequate construction  management.

Design and configuration control during construction and into plant operations appears to be deficient, it said.

It also found performance issues such as leaking joints, wide-spaced construction joints and Occupational Safety and Health Administration violations.

Its too early to cite the cause of the collapse, said Jan Shingler, LMK engineer who was audit project manager and team leader.

Shingler would not comment further on the report, saying it speaks for itself.

However, he said both cities and the plant board have been very diligent about taking care of the plant deficiencies.

That remedial work would cost in the millions, he said.

Binghamton Mayor Matthew T. Ryan (D) and Johnson  City Mayor Dennis F. Hannon (D) issued a statement May 23 that said the  cities are pursuing a redesign and construction of certain elements of  the plant, and well put that work in motion as soon as possible.