Jul 9, 2008 By Christine Haines 3 min read

LUZERNE TWP. – A list of 96 issues or complaints related to the first two phases of construction of the sewer system in Luzerne Township is slowly being whittled away. Authority member Joe Terravecchia chairs the newly formed committee to deal with customer complaints. He said there were 36 unresolved issues from Phase I and 60 unresolved issues from Phase II. Five of the matters were resolved at Monday’s meeting, while several others have been handled administratively or by the authority’s solicitor or engineer. Terravecchia said there are still about 88 outstanding issues, 18 of them in Phase I related to an elevation problem that does not allow sewerage service in the basements of 18 homes.

Solicitor Jack Purcell said service to the basements is not guaranteed and engineer Don Reho noted that gray water from showers or washing machines can easily be pumped up to sewer lines on the first floor of the homes, while it would be cost prohibitive to install grinder pumps to provide sewerage to the 18 basements.

Terravecchia said he personally reviewed damage to Bill Orbash’s property, with damages estimated at $2,700. The authority proposed that the amount owed to Orbash in damages be applied to his tap-in fees for two construction taps and the remainder of the tap-in fee for his home plus a portion of late fees owed on the tap, with the remaining $1,735 applied to his monthly user fees. Orbash did not agree with that proposal.

“I might die before that gets evened out,” Orbash said. “Give me $1,500 tonight and we’ll call it square.”

The authority agreed to the settlement.

Larry Storch, who lives near Orbash but is not on the public sewer system, said he had his septic system dye tested and it is working properly and not discharging raw sewage into a nearby stream. Orbash had raised concerns at a previous meeting.

Terravecchia said residents at 630 Main St. in Tower Hill, where there was a complaint of raw sewage in the street, are cooperating with the authority. The problem, Terravecchia said, was coming from a bathroom in the basement that was not connected to the new sewer line. The bathroom has been taken out of service and the problem has been resolved, Terravecchia said.

Operations manager Tony Capuzzi said the state Department of Environmental Protection received a complaint about an order coming from the treatment plant in Maxwell. A DEP inspector came to the plant, but found no problems, speculating that the odor may have settled in the river valley from another location.

Terravecchia said funding sources are still being investigated for Phase III, which would include the Swan Plan, telegraph Road and Patsy Hillman Park.

Terravecchia said that $1.1 million in state and federal grants are available for the $1.6 million project if the project is done through the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Under that program the 59 customers would pay a tap-in fee of $1,900, plus a monthly user fee of $40 to $60.

Terravecchia said the authority is trying to keep the user fee around $43, the same as the other sewerage customers in the township.

Funding through the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority (PENNVEST) is also being sought. Terravecchia said PENNVEST initially turned down the project because erroneous figures regarding the number of failing on-lot treatment systems was provided.

Terravecchia said PENNVEST was told that approximately 40 percent of the on-lot systems were failing, when the actual rate is 80 to 90 percent.