Authority seeks money for sewer project
BROWNSVILLE – The failure of roughly 40 percent of the on-lot sewage treatment systems in the Swan plan in Luzerne Township isn’t high enough for the state Department of Environmental Protection to consider it for funding for public sewerage. That’s what engineer Bill Johnson told the Brownsville Municipal Authority on Tuesday.
Johnson said he met recently with officials from the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority (PENNVEST) and Rural Utility Services (RUS), two potential funding sources for the project that would provide sewerage for 58 homes and the Patsy Hillman Park. Johnson said it was during that meeting that he learned that PENNVEST would not be a funding source for the installation of new sewer lines to replace the failing septic systems.
Johnson said PENNVEST does offer a funding program for the repair of on-lot treatment systems, but Joe Terravecchia of the Luzerne Township Sewage Authority said fixing the residential on-lot systems wouldn’t help Patsy Hillman Park. Terravecchia also questioned the DEP’s estimate that only 40 percent of the homes had failing septic systems.
“It’s more like a handful of the 59 are working properly,” Terravecchia said.
Johnson said Luzerne Township has an application for funding pending with RUS that the Brownsville Municipal Authority could assume to expedite the process.
Johnson said that while RUS has a higher interest rate for loans than PENNVEST, it also provides a greater amount in grant funding. Johnson said the RUS interest rate is currently 4.5 percent, but it is expected to be reduced in the near future.
Members of the municipal authority expressed concerns that with so few customers the project may not be able to generate enough income to justify the expense. Johnson said he would calculate the cost to the customers based on the possibility of RUS funding.
Terravecchia said that construction of the Mon/Fayette Expressway (Toll Road 43) through Luzerne Township could tremendously increase the number of customers on Bull Run Road.
“I understand the position you’re in as far as income goes. We’re also looking at putting a pipe under Toll 43. The growth in that area is going to be significant in coming years. This is an investment in our future,” Terravecchia said.
Terravecchia said that in addition to the potential RUS grant funding and loans, he is checking into grant possibilities through U.S. Rep John P. Murtha, D-Johnstown; U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa.; and state Rep. H. William DeWeese, D-Waynesburg.
“There are no written guarantees, but it’s looking optimistic,” Terravecchia said.
In other matters, authority chairman Fred Provance noted that National City Bank will be closing its downtown Brownsville office as of Aug. 8, but sewer bills may still be paid at the National City Bank office on National Pike East.
Solicitor Ernest DeHaas said he has sent out a second round of letters to property owners who are believed to have their downspouts tapped into their sewer lines in violation of the authority’s policy. DeHaas said the letters were only mailed to those property owners who did not respond to his previous letter either saying the downspouts have been taken out of the system or setting a time frame for their removal.
DeHaas said that those who continue to ignore letters and neither respond nor remove the illegal connections will be cited and could face fines through the magisterial district judge’s office.
Provance noted that some delinquent sewer customers whose water has been shut off have turned the water back on by themselves. DeHaas said the authority should notify the water company of the situation because the shut-off valves are water company property, and those who turn the water back on by themselves could face prosecution.