Engineer submits action plan
BULLSKIN TWP. – The engineer for the Bullskin Township/Connellsville Township Joint Sewerage Authority presented members with an action plan Wednesday in an effort to pinpoint the source of an odor detected in a section of Route 119 in Connellsville Township. Glenn Wolfe, engineer for Widmer Engineering, said the plan is the first step in ruling out possible causes for the odor and includes several ideas on tackling the issue.
“It’s pretty much a laundry list,” said Wolfe.
The authority received a letter in August from the chairman of the Connellsville Municipal Authority (CMA) regarding numerous complaints of a sewage smell from residents in the area of the North Pittsburgh Street extension.
In a previous letter, CMA stated the odor was allegedly tracked to an interceptor line after pulling manholes in Connellsville Township between the Sons of Italy and Advance Auto Parts along Memorial Boulevard.
However, Fred Elcock, authority secretary, alleged that the sewage is flowing from an interceptor into a 60-inch pipe that drains in a nearby creek with the odor more noticeable each time it floods from a storm.
Wolfe added that a resident in that area has agreed to document the dates and times of the smell and contact a plant operator with the reports.
“That may give us some more insight as to what’s going on,” said Wolfe.
In a separate matter, Pat Stefano, authority chairman, said the necessary paperwork involved with extending sewage from the Route 119 interceptor to Shenandoah Road has been prepared and is on its way for review by local legislators in hopes of obtaining available funding for the project.
The authority learned in July from Wolfe it would cost $4,183,495 to complete the project and has since applied for funding from the Rural Utility Service (RUS) in the event the project becomes feasible.
“The whole package is based on a certain number of grants and we need to start looking for those to help keep the costs down,” said Stefano.
Even after breaking down the project into eight various sub-areas, Wolfe said the figures exceeded the authority’s current sewage rate structure.