Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Sewage topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Salem Township funds Crabtree-area sewage feasibility study, weighs repairs and manhole concerns
Summary
The Salem Township Board approved an $8,515 transfer to pay Morris Knowles for a Crabtree-area sewage feasibility study and discussed potential repairs to sewer defects and manhole elevations; supervisors said new flow would be pumped to Fourteen Mile Run and a public meeting will follow internal and utility review.
The Salem Township Board of Supervisors approved transferring $8,515 from the Special Projects account to the Sewage Revenue account to cover Morris Knowles’ feasibility-study fees for a potential sewer expansion in the Crabtree area.
Supervisor Kerry Jobe told the board the feasibility study and an accompanying PowerPoint are nearly complete and that current designs under consideration include Forbes Road, Coal Hollow, Crabtree and Hannastown, with Totteridge not tied in initially. "Everything looks promising but we must review it internally and discuss it with Unity before sharing with the public," Jobe said.
Jobe said the proposed connections would be pumped to Fourteen Mile Run — described during the meeting as operating at about 30% capacity — and estimated the change would add roughly 22% to that system's load. He said the study and subsequent engineering review will determine needed tap approvals and system impacts.
Board members and residents also discussed repairs to existing sewer lines. Supervisors noted grant funds remaining from a prior variable frequency drive project (reported at roughly $80,000–$90,000) and that repairing identified grade 4 and 5 defects would cost "a little over $100,000"; if grant funds cannot be applied to repairs, the work would be paid from the sewage fund.
Resident Ed Rebitch raised a separate concern about manhole cover elevations on a municipal line running through his property, saying the original plan showed manholes set below grade but the current plan would leave them at or slightly above grade and that at-grade covers impede equipment use. Rebitch asked the board to approach Delmont Borough about the change; the board recorded the concern and indicated it would pursue the procedural steps needed to clarify options.
The motion to transfer $8,515 passed unanimously (Supervisor votes: Bob Zundel yes; Ken Trumbetta yes; Kerry Jobe yes). The board said a public meeting and further coordination with the sewer authority would follow once staff and the consulting engineer complete internal reviews.
