May 9, 2007 2 min read

U.S. Rep. John P. Murtha, chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, announced Tuesday that the Lower Ten Mile Joint Sewer Authority in Greene County has received a $300,000 grant through the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to expand sewer service in the Mather and Williamstown areas. According to Murtha, D-Johnstown, the authority owns, operates and maintains the Mather wastewater treatment plant, pumping stations and collecting interceptor sewers serving Mather, Jefferson Borough and Jefferson Township. Currently many of the on-lot systems in the Mather Service Area are malfunctioning, and the authority proposes to extend the sewer system along state Route 188 to serve existing homes and businesses as well as provide for future development and growth.

The authority also owns, operates, and maintains the Williamstown wastewater treatment plant, pumping stations, and collecting and intercepting sewers serving the Pitt Gas, Williamstown, Clarksville Hill, Clarksville Borough, Teagarden Homes, Braden-Burson, South Clarksville and portions of Chartiers. The state Department of Environmental Protection is requiring the Authority to extend sewer service to homes in the Sandy Plains area because the existing on-lot systems are malfunctioning.

“Projects like these are vital components of healthy communities as well as key economic development tools,” said Murtha. “Replacing the current malfunctioning on-lot systems will improve the quality of life for the residents and businesses of Greene County.”

The $300,000 grant will allow the borrowing for the project to be reduced in the hope of reducing sewer rates to more than 1,400 customers. The total estimated cost of the project is $1.2 million.