South Union Township officials say state removed sewer tap restrictions
South Union Township officials on Wednesday said the state is not longer restricting the Greater Uniontown Joint Sewage Plant Authority from issuing sewage taps.
The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) lifted the restriction on Feb. 1 due to changes in management, not operations, at the plant, said John Over, the township engineer and one of the three township representatives on the authority’s board of directors.
Since 2009, the imposed the moratorium prohibiting the authority from issuing taps without its approval after tests showed the amount of organic material in the waste water entering the plant exceeded the amount the plant was designed to treat. The plant serves South Union and North Union townships and Uniontown.
Those restriction caused a delay in the construction of the Super WalMart at the Fayette County Business Park, said Jason Scott, chairman of the board of supervisors.
Over said no operational changes have been made at the plant. He attributed the DEP’s decision to management changes imposed by new operations manager Dean Mori, who was hired last year.
Supervisor Robert Schiffbauer said some other personnel changes are needed at the plant and the township will make changes to its sewers to help the plant.
The DEP asked Mori to train other sewage plant operators from the state at Greater Uniontown plant, Over said.
He raised the subject after he explained a resolution for a sewage planning module for Chili’s Restaurant, which is planning to build a new restaurant at the site of the old Sheetz at the corner of Route 40 and New Salem Road. Sheetz moved across New Salem Road and Chili’s plans to build at the old Sheetz site.
The module was needed because Chili’s requested taps for 22 equivalent dwelling units, which is more than what Sheetz used, Over said.
Supervisors unanimously approved that module and another one for sewer line extension on Route 21.
The extension will allow Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witness and a Dollar General store, which had on-lot sewer systems, to connect to a public sewage line, Over said.
In other business, Over reported that Lidl, a European grocer, purchased 3.3 acres of the old Walmart site on Matthew Drive.