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Longswamp engineer pauses Act 537 work pending meeting with PA DEP
Summary
Township Engineer Jill Smith told supervisors she submitted the Act 537 task report to PA DEP and will await a scheduled DEP meeting before advancing local sewage‑management changes; Supervisor Mark Hilbert said DEP guidance favors a three‑year pumping cycle and pre‑treatment options for failing cesspools.
Township Engineer Jill Smith told the Longswamp Township Board of Supervisors on May 12 that the Act 537 task activity report had been submitted to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and that the township prepared a summary of steps taken so far to manage on‑lot sewage systems.
"The summary covers the steps and where we are with proceeding with community systems," Jill Smith said, explaining the material would be sent to DEP prior to a meeting the township is scheduling. She said she would not pursue further Act 537 work until after that meeting.
Supervisor Mark Hilbert, referencing information from a PSATS session with DEP representatives, said DEP staff are now encouraging a three‑year pumping cycle and measures that make on‑lot systems last longer. Hilbert said a DEP engineer he spoke with described a cesspool as failing if it contacts groundwater and suggested considering pretreatment before effluent reaches the ground.
Why it matters: Act 537 plans govern sewage facilities and how municipalities propose to address sewage disposal and on‑lot systems. The township’s decision to pause additional work until direct consultation with DEP means formal changes or local program shifts are on hold pending that guidance.
What’s next: The township will meet with DEP and use the agency’s feedback to determine whether to move forward with proposed community systems, ordinance changes or pre‑treatment strategies. No vote or formal policy change occurred at the May 12 meeting.
