East Franklin sewer project coming in well under budget

Three East Franklin sewage line projects will cost about 10 percent less than officials expected.

The West Hills Area Water Pollution Control Authority saved about $615,000 because it took less piping and stone than estimated by contractors to install sewage lines in the township's Center Hill, Furnace Run and Walkchalk neighborhoods, said Carmen Johnson, Armstrong County's assistant director of planning and development.

There was much less work needed than we had originally expected, Johnson said.

The project provides sewage service to 223 homes that had relied on septic systems. Crews have been working since June 2013 to install the lines. The project is expected to be finished by the end of the year.

The project is being paid for with a $9.6 million loan from the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority. The loan comes with a 1 percent interest rate for the first five years, with monthly repayments of $44,400. For years six through 20, the interest rate will increase to 1.8 percent, making the monthly payments jump to $47,350, authority Manager Cory Heller said.

Although the reduced costs won't affect the size of monthly payments, Heller said he expects it will help the authority pay the loan off faster.

It is definitely going to shave some time off of this loan, but we're not exactly sure how many months it will cut back, Heller said.

Brad Pedersen is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. He can be reached at 724-543-1303, ext. 1337, or bpedersen@tribweb.com.

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East Franklin sewer project coming in well under budget