Sewer plan update in works – Sharonherald

HERMITAGE It's been 10 months since a resident of North Neshannock Road asked Hermitage Municipal Authority if it was planning to extend sewer service in her area, but authority officials told a group of area residents Wednesday that the issue goes back way beyond last year.

The authority is preparing an update to its Act 537 plan, the document "that says, for any given piece of property in the entire city, what they're gonna do with their sewage," said Jason Wert, consulting engineer with RETTEW Inc.

JOE PINCHOT | Herald

Jason Wert of RETTEW Inc., Hermitage Municipal Authority's consulting engineer, center, explains a study of the sanitary sewer needs on North Neshannock and Darby roads.

Specifically, officials are looking at needs for sewer service on North Neshannock and North and South Darby roads, although a larger update covering the entire city is in the offing.

Kathy Lealyof North Neshannock asked the authority Wednesday how the study of her neighborhood came about.

"I can't understand why one individual family has opened this big ball of wax up and we're causing so much stink in Hermitage, here," she said.

Authority Manager Tom Darby responded that the "stink" goes back at least to the '80s, during a previous Act 537 plan update.

"We knew the area where you're at was bad," Darby said, meaning that there were malfunctioning sewer systems.

At that time, the authority expanded sewer service, but not to that area. Local officials knew they would have to revisit the area and state Department of Environmental Protection officials have not forgotten the earlier findings.

"It wasn't off the radar," Wert said. "The city didn't kick over an anthill that wasn't already known. The DEP was aware of the situation. As a matter of fact, the DEP asked if we would look at a broader area, which is why it's more than just Neshannock Road. We did not do as broad an area as the DEP wanted, and that's probably something that will come up in a later year. Maybe, next year or the year after. "

The authority has sent letters to residents asking them fill out a survey.

"We have to determine what the situation is in the area," Wert said. "Whether you feel strongly or not about whether public sewer service should be there, your input's valuable. We need it because we don't live in those homes and we don't understand what goes on on a daily basis."

RETTEW employees will be walking the neighborhoods this month looking for signs of malfunctioning septic systems. Wert said homeowners are allowed to forbid surveyors from coming on their properties, but that DEP requires them to list such occurrences a "potential malfunction."

Lealy asked if a poll of the residents could be used to determine whether sewer lines are extended.

"We cannot," Wert said. "We have to let the data determine what the situation will be. If there is enough malfunctions identified, or repairs of malfunctions throughout the years, then we'll have to provide options to the DEP of how we're going to solve that situation. It varies but I will say, generally, if one in four homes have had a problem or have a problem at the moment, generally, the DEP will say we have to extend public sewer service. It's cut and dry."

Just because a specific area North Darby, as an example does not meet that threshold, lines still could be extended if the percentage of malfunctions is close to the cut off, more malfunctions are expected in the coming years and/or officials decide it will be cost-efficient to do the area as part of a larger project instead of waiting, Wert said.

"No decision's been made," Wert said, noting any projects are at least a year away.

Some residents complained about the potential cost to homeowners. In the past, the city has charged a tap-in fee to each homeowner and an assessment fee based on property frontage, and homeowners have had to hire contractors to connect their homes to the public lines.

"I really think there's a serious financial problem for the people who are here," said Linda Spanos of North Neshannock.

Marcie Grimm of North Neshannock said she had to pay $20,000 to install a low-flow treatment system as a condition of buying her house and would not want to have to dismantle that system and pay more to tap in to public sewers.

Wert acknowledged the financial burden can be significant. The city has established payment plans for past projects and grants have been used to reduce the cost to homeowners, but Wert said grant funds largely have dried up.

After Grimm left, Wert told the board that low-flow systems such as Grimm's, which uses chlorine to treat waste water, are permitted by DEP when there is no appropriate land on a property for a conventional septic or sand mound system, and are considered a malfunction. Many permits specify that, should public sewer service become available, the homeowner must tap in.

"DEP considers that a measure of last resort," Wert said of low-flow systems.

Roseanne Sauers, who approached the authority in September, identified herself to the neighbors and explained her situation.Sauers and her husband, who has since died, wanted to sell their house but could not without replacing their septic system. They didn't want to spend the money if the city was going to extend sewers in the near future.

"I didn't blow a whistle," she said. "We were having trouble.I share your frustration."

Wert said he expects a draft of the Act 537 update will be ready in September with a public comment period in October or November. City commissioners will have the final say on whether any projects are undertaken and how homeowners would have to contribute to a project.

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Sewer plan update in works - Sharonherald