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Lower Pottsgrove Authority says Hilltop Road sewer project complete, will press DEP for extra EDUs after flow improvements
Summary
The Lower Pottsgrove Township Authority reported completion of Hilltop Road sewer work, said system flows are down more than 30 percent, and plans to present results to the Department of Environmental Protection when requesting additional EDU capacity; paving and restoration remain to be finished.
The Lower Pottsgrove Township Authority on Aug. 14 said the Hilltop Road sewer replacement project, which began July 27, finished that day and staff will seek additional EDUs from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection after documenting recent flow reductions.
Manager Edward Wagner said the contractor completed field work on Aug. 14 but cited one safety-and-access incident in which a resident was photographing and getting too close to an active trench. Wagner told the resident they could not interfere with operations and that the approach risked safety. "You cannot interfere with the overall project and to protect his own safety," Wagner said.
Sewer engineer Mr. Ebert said crews will correct minor issues found when installing private laterals, replace manhole castings that are on backorder, and restore driveways and lawns with seed before the township paves after the 45-day waiting period, likely any time after Oct. 1. "They did a fantastic job," Ebert said of the contractor's work on Hilltop Road.
Ebert also briefed the board on ongoing field work by Sewer Specialties: the contractor began installing 14 T-liners on Kepler Road and is televising segments on N Valley Road (from Valley Court to Keim Street), Terraced Hills Court, Shelly Drive, Allison Drive, and South Pleasantview Road to Shelly Drive to help prioritize next year’s capital projects.
"With our flows being down over 30% we have made tremendous improvements to our sewer system," Ebert said, adding that the authority will compile a short report of completed work to present to DEP when requesting that additional EDUs be released.
Ebert listed planned sanitary main replacements for future budgets — two sections on Welsh Drive, N Valley Road (Valley Court to Keim Street), and Hilltop Road Phase II (between Ceder Hill and Brooke Roads). He said the authority has applied for an H2O grant for Hilltop Phase II and expects Commonwealth action on or before Sept. 19.
Separately, the board discussed a poor-condition main in the area between Pebble Beach Drive and Buchert Road that will need lining. Vice Chairman Sean Pence asked whether the Kepler Road sewer runs to Buchert Road; Ebert said the main crosses Buchert Road and the section between Pebble Beach and Buchert will require lining. Sewer Operator Tim Watson warned that working on a PennDOT road complicates maintenance and repairs.
The authority did not take a formal vote on the grants or replacement schedule at the meeting; Ebert said staff will present a color-coded multi-year project plan at the October meeting to show what has been completed in recent years.
Next steps: staff will compile the DEP report documenting reduced flows and completed repairs, follow up on manhole casting deliveries and pavement restoration, and return to the board with a multi-year capital plan in October.
