Sewer Repairs on Tap

By Mike Faher, Tribune-Democrat, Johnstown, Pa.

Jun. 21–The drive to fix a massive — and illegal — sewage-overflow problem in 20 Greater Johnstown municipalities has begun in earnest.

And residents soon will begin to feel the economic effects of an effort that will take years but must begin immediately.

“There’s no more status quo,” said Ron Repak, Johnstown Redevelopment Authority executive director.

Officials have been publicly discussing the problem for more than two years: Surface runoff, such as water from a storm, is infiltrating Johnstown Regional Sewage system’s lines.

During heavy downpours, that water overloads those lines — along with the Redevelopment Authority-owned Dornick Point treatment plant — and forces the discharge of untreated sewage into waterways.

The problem reaches into member municipalities, which own the sewage pipes within their boundaries. And it includes homeowners whose downspouts and drains may be tied directly into the sewage system.

Now, the state Department of Environmental Protection is cracking down and has sent letters to towns within the system. Those letters establish strict deadlines for corrective action.

“The communities where these (sewage overflows) occur, as well as upstream communities contributing flow to them, are legally liable and responsible for these discharges,” DEP officials wrote.

Repak advocates a regional approach, adding that the Redevelopment Authority is offering coordination and assistance.

“This is a priority,” he said, “because we don’t want to be fined, nor do we want the municipalities to be fined.”

Work already has begun, including mapping and monitoring needed to evaluate the entire sewage system.

To generate a pool of local money for the projects that lie ahead, Repak expects a $2 monthly flat fee to soon be added to every customer’s treatment bill from Johnstown Regional Sewage.

Revenue from that fee could help leverage governmental financial assistance, Repak said.

He added that the average customer’s sewage bill remains relatively low at $14.49 monthly for 4,000 gallons.

“We’re not raising sewer rates. We have not done so in six years,” Repak said.

“We’re one of the least expensive in the commonwealth.”

However, most residents also will see increasing sewer costs levied by their own localities as local officials prepare to address water-infiltration problems.

For instance, Southmont Borough’s sewage-collection fees are set to double from $12 to $24 every six months. That increase will show up on borough garbage bills due to arrive in mailboxes soon.

Southmont Borough Manager Rich Wargo said officials have begun a house-to-house inspection.

Council also awarded a $20,711 contract for cleaning and video inspection of 23,000 feet of sewer line.

“It’s going to be an ongoing process,” Wargo said. “It’s not going to happen overnight.”

Southmont’s costs are relatively low compared with those in three communities — Dale, East Conemaugh and Ferndale — that have only one system handling both sewage and surface water.

Officials have said the only feasible option for those municipalities is to build entirely new systems to handle sewage.

East Conemaugh is proceeding in that direction. Dale officials are considering a project with an estimated cost of $4.6 million.

And Ferndale leaders are facing a $4.5 million to $6 million fix. Officials have met with DEP and plan another session next month.

“They’ve told us — it’s not something where we’re going to be able to sit back and hem-haw around about,” Ferndale Councilman Jim Rigby said.

To support the project, Ferndale residents’ sewage-collection fees eventually will rise from $45 annually to about $40 monthly, Rigby said.

Initiating sewage-line improvements will not fall entirely to municipal governments. Property owners will be responsible for eliminating water flowing from their homes into sewage lines.

And several communities have enacted ordinances requiring that, before a home is sold, the owner must test for any illegal water infiltration into the sewer system.

“It’s a start to try and catch some of these things,” Repak said.

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Copyright (c) 2008, Tribune-Democrat, Johnstown, Pa.

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