Dunbar Township authority readies for sanitary-sewer taps
DUNBAR TWP. – The Dunbar Township Municipal Authority is preparing to mail letters to customers to offer them guideline for sanitary-sewer connections. According to DTMA treasurer Lou Falton, the letters will be mailed out by the end of this week, and residents should have them by the first week in February. Falton said 677 residents have already paid the tap-in fee ($750, if paid early; $850, if paid late), but he is still waiting for another 214 who have not paid the full amount.
“Some of the 214 have made partial payments, but some of the calculated 214 may include abandoned homes,” said Falton. “We’re not sure, at this point, how many abandoned homes we have, but we do know that 75 to 80 percent of residents who are in the area of the sewer project have paid their tap-in fees.”
The $8.7 million project, which began a year ago this month, takes in the Leisenring-Rogerstown area, Trotter, Adelaide-Crosslands and includes construction of a sewage-treatment plant in Adelaide.
According to Don Reho, head engineer of the project for Widmer Engineering Inc. of Connellsville, about 3,900 feet of sewer lines has been installed in the township, and Galway Bay Construction of North Union Township brought the treatment plant online for a test earlier this month.
Falton said the treatment plant could be up and running any day now, since all the contractors have to do is flip a switch that will put Georgetown Manor residents on line.
“There are some 90 people in Georgetown Manor who are on their own system, right now,” said Falton. “Once the switch is thrown, those people will be on the new system and the old system, which was built in the late 1960s or early 1970s, will be abandoned or shut down.”
In the meantime, Falton said, the letters that will go out by Jan. 31 will inform residents that they have 60 days to hook up to the new public sanitary-sewer system.
“A sanitary-sewer connection permit must be obtained from the authority office, located at 1257 University Drive, before any work is begun by the homeowner,” Falton said. “The required connection fee for the property ($850) must be paid to the authority before a connection permit will be issued.”
Falton also said that property owners are responsible for their own sanitary-service line from their home or other structure to the public sewer line on the street and said that he has flyers and business cards from contractors who are available to do the work in his office.
He also said that the authority does not endorse the quality of work provided by the contractors.
“The homeowner must make their own connection,” said Falton. “Specifications for the installation of the sanitary-sewer service line will be provided to them, with the permit.”
Falton said DTMA must be notified when the service line has been installed and reminded residents not to backfill the line before a DTMA inspector has come out to look at it.
“The authority’s inspector must approve the sanitary-sewer service line before the sewer is backfilled,” said Falton. “The inspector must also affix his signature to the permit.”
According to Falton, the monthly fee of $38 per EDU would take effect on April 1, whether or not a resident is connected to the sewer line.
Falton said if residents decide not to pay their monthly bill, legal action would be taken.