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C-H sewer authority approved for tap-ins

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Canonsburg-Houston Joint Authority was granted 971 new sewer tap-ins for the communities it serves, which comes after several years of being held under a tap restriction.

The state Department of Environmental Protection approved all of the authority’s requested tap-ins for the municipalities of Canonsburg, Houston, Chartiers, Cecil and North Strabane.

“The added sewerage connections open the door to economic expansion and community growth in the region,” state Rep. Brandon Neuman, D-North Strabane, said in a news release. “I thank the DEP for their cooperation, but especially all the local officials who worked to make this a reality.”

The authority has been subjected to a DEP corrective action plan to address issues with the authority’s operations. As a result, the authority has been limited in the number of taps it can purchase each year, which caused “a big headache” for developers, engineer Shawn Rosensteel said in late 2013. A letter from the DEP indicated it would review the authority’s 2014 operating report due next month before deciding whether to keep the corrective plan in place.

The authority requested the 971 tap-ins in a Jan. 22 letter to the DEP’s Pittsburgh office. Authority manager Katherine Gilmartin said the news came as somewhat of a surprise because the DEP previously stated it would only lift restrictions under certain circumstances.

“My understanding was in order for this cap to be lifted, we would essentially have to be begin construction or at least have earnest steps toward that, meaning financing.”

The authority is behind schedule on a plan to expand its treatment plant in Canonsburg in order to meet DEP’s regulations and accommodate a growing population. Chartiers and North Strabane townships must first approve a service agreement with CHJA before the authority can float a $25 million bond to finance the expansion project.

Matthew Marasco, manager of the North Strabane Township Municipal Authority, did not return a call seeking comment.

Chartiers Township sued the authority in October over its decision to double the tap-in fee for new customers, which raised the cost from $800 to $1,600 per tap. Manager Jodi Noble said the township board of supervisors approved a new service agreement in January that contained their requested changes, but CHJA rejected the agreement.

“However, we continue to stand ready to negotiate the terms of a new service agreement and are willing to meet to discuss the proposed terms,” Noble said in an email.

Noble said the township is waiting for a tap calculation from a third-party engineer, and they hope to “agree on a tap fee which will resolve the litigation.”

Gilmartin said the authority estimates that it could secure funding for the expansion project within 60 days of the service agreements being signed.

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