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Upper Moreland staff: five Berry Road homes will be required to connect to new sewer line; average hookup about $53,000
Summary
Staff briefed the CDC that an ordinance advertised for the Berry Road sewer connection would require five of eight homes in the segment between Orangeman and Betts Roads to connect; average total hookup cost cited was about $53,000 per home, with the sewer authority covering roughly $25,000.
Upper Moreland Township staff updated the Community Development Committee on May 11 about a pending ordinance that, if adopted, would require five homes on a segment of Berry Road to connect to a newly proposed sewer lateral.
Pat Stacier, township manager, told commissioners that the draft ordinance — already advertised — targets five residences between Orangeman Road and Betts Road for connection; three remaining homes on Berry Road would connect to a different pipe. Stacier said four of the five owners have indicated intent to connect; one homeowner who recently replaced a septic system has said they do not wish to connect, but under the proposed ordinance would nevertheless be required to do so.
Staff described the average total connection cost as about $53,000 per home. Stacier and a township explanation broke that number into an estimated $25,000 that the sewer authority will advance for running the lateral (a fee the homeowner must pay to the authority) and roughly $28,000 for the private connection from the house to the lateral.
Commissioners asked for clarity on timing and the requirement. Code Enforcement Director Paul Patel confirmed that when the township ordains and the line is installed, property owners would typically have 60 days to connect, and that nonpayment or refusal is not an option under the proposed ordinance. The solicitor will prepare the ordinance for the full board's June 1 meeting, staff said.
The committee received the update; no vote was recorded at the CDC meeting. The next procedural step is consideration of the ordinance at the June 1 board meeting where a final vote would be scheduled.
