Shippenville would have to cover the cost of upgrading Paint-Elk’s sewage treatment plant to handle the extra load, estimated by the authority’s engineers at $925,000 and rising.

Shippenville Borough council president Mike Cotherman attended the March 13 authority meeting and said the million-dollar cost would be considerably less expensive than the borough’s other options, which include expanding or replacing the borough’s treatment plant.

Stormwater reduced

Cotherman addressed a major concern of the authority: how much stormwater is entering Shippenville’s collection system. The answer: much less than before.

He said the borough last summer installed inserts in its sanitary sewer manholes, preventing rainwater from leaking in.

In September of 2006, flows into the treatment plant were ranging between 15,000 and 115,000 gallons a day. In September 2007, after installing the inserts, flows were between 6,500 and 25,000 gallons a day.

Cotherman said the borough inspected the system last July and found very few old clay tile lateral lines, a common source of stormwater infiltration, and only three homes had roof gutters connected to the sanitary system.

In all, 22 problems were found throughout the system, and all but one of the problems has been corrected, and that one has until June to be fixed.

“We’ve taken a lot of I and I (stormwater) out of the system,” Cotherman said.

Should Shippenville connect to Paint-Elk, the total flow from the borough would be metered and paid for by the thousand-gallons, so the borough would have a strong incentive to keep stormwater problems at a minimum.

Shippenville charges sewer customers based on the amount of water use as metered by Pennsylvania-American Water, Cotherman noted, while the borough would have the entire sewage flow, including stormwater, metered and billed by the authority.

The borough has ordinances in place that require homeowners to repair leaks and disconnect stormwater sources or face a shut-off of water service.

Future expansions

Authority president Hunter McMeans said one of the authority’s main concerns was how much room for expansion Paint-Elk would have if it added Shippenville’s flows to the treatment plant. He noted the authority had to borrow money to pay to remove and dispose of sludge from its lagoons.

Cotherman noted the authority would have additional revenue from Shippenville.

Authority member Dave Smail asked if Shippenville was expected to add more sewage customers.

Cotherman said there is a proposed subdivision that could add as many as 76 residences, and the developers are considering building five or six homes a year for as long as the homes sell, and this can only happen after DEP approves the addition of more sewer connections.

“Other than that, not many lots are build-worthy, there’s not a lot of room in the borough for expansion,” he said.

The borough has taken on sewage customers in nearby parts Elk Township , at the request of DEP. More customers in Elk along State Route 208 north and west of the borough could also be added.

McMeans said the authority should move cautiously so as not to exceed the capacity f the treatment plant in the future.

There were several potential or proposed developments in the area, and DEP is requiring existing homes and businesses in the River Hill area to be connected to the system. “There is expansion all over,” he said. “We have to be careful.”

At a previous authority meeting, and at Paint Township supervisors’ meetings, Paint Township supervisor Ed Bouch had expressed opposition to adding Shippenville to the system out of concern it would limit capacity of the sewer system and therefore limit economic development.

Covering costs

Shippenville would cover the cost of the main to connect the borough to the authority’s system, Cotherman said, and would seek grant funding. He said he thought that, under the rules, both the borough and the authority would be eligible for grants if the borough is a bulk customer of the authority.

As a bulk customer, Shippenville would not have representation on the authority; Paint and Elk townships would have to adopt ordinances authorizing representation for Shippenville, Authority engineer Brian Sekula of the EADS Group said.

Tap fees could also help cover the cost of the connection main, as there are potential customers east of Shippenville, he said.

Sekula said a recent change in state law limits tap fees to a maximum of $450; such fees had often been set at $1,000.

Cotherman said Shippenville sewage customers could see rate increases of about $8 to $10 a month based on his rough calculations, though that does not include some savings from no longer needing treatment chemicals and sludge removal.

“I don’t expect to see a hardship on the borough,” he said.

Talks will continue

McMeans asked if borough council seemed interested in connecting to the Paint-Elk system at the $1 million price tag.

Cotherman said council wanted him to attend the authority meeting after hearing the estimate.

In reply to requests, Cotherman said he would provide more detailed information on sewage flows and other matters.

McMeans said he would invite Cotherman and Elk Township supervisor Keith Etzel to the next authority meeting for further discussion.

 “We haven’t given up on you people yet,” he said.