Allentown council approves Act 537 regional sewage plan update; city cites $5 million annual program to reduce infiltration

Allentown City Council approved Resolution R 1 13 to send an updated Act 537 regional sewage plan, which includes the City of Allentown, to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection for review.

The plan responds to state enforcement stemming from past bypasses and a chapter 94 violation for exceeding hydraulic capacity at the city’s wastewater treatment plant, Deputy Director of Public Works David Patrick told council members. “Act 537 is state law, which mandates municipalities to have a plan for how they’re going to manage their sewage,” Patrick said.

The plan identifies long-term maintenance and repair as the primary remedy to reduce extraneous water entering the sewer system from rainfall and groundwater. “We have an old system, so it’s really on the city to do our part to reduce the sources that add this extraneous water,” Patrick said. He estimated the program’s work — lining pipes and repairing joints and other measures — would cost roughly $5,000,000 per year.

Patrick told council the city has already secured a $3,000,000 grant to help offset costs and that the system operator, LCA, has agreed to allocate $650,000 from its lease payments toward the program. Patrick said those funding commitments are intended to limit the impact on ratepayers.

Asked about rate impacts, Patrick said council should expect “approximately 9 to 10¢ per thousand gallons of water used” over the next five years, adding that figure assumes the city funds the program and falls short on grants.

Patrick described the city’s compliance timeline: a corrective-action framework began with an interim plan in 2020, and the updated regional plan will be submitted to DEP for review. He said the city hopes to file the plan with DEP by October and that other municipalities in the regional system must pass parallel resolutions: “We’re hoping to get the plan to DEP by October,” he said. He said six other communities had already approved the plan and that 15 municipalities are part of the regional update.

Councilmember Hamlin asked for the resolution to be presented; a motion to approve the resolution was made and seconded by Councilmember Scott. The motion passed on a voice vote; council recorded the motion as approved and the plan will be forwarded to DEP for review.

The plan will allow continued sewer connections for businesses and residences while the city undertakes the corrective actions, Patrick said. He emphasized that ongoing maintenance is required to achieve reductions in inflow and infiltration and to preserve the plant’s capacity for future economic development.

Next steps identified in the discussion: council’s passage of Resolution R 1 13 and submission of the updated Act 537 plan to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection for formal review. Additional municipalities in the regional system must pass their own resolutions before the consolidated regional submission is complete.