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Lower Pottsgrove reviews sewer authority budget, completes Hilltop Road replacement and votes to study township-owned wastewater plant
Summary
Board members were briefed on the Hilltop Road sewer replacement, raised concerns about a proposed $280,000 increase to the authority budget, and authorized a study into whether the township should pursue its own wastewater treatment plant as a long-term option to control costs.
Lower Pottsgrove Township commissioners on Oct. 7 received an update that the Hilltop Road Sewer Replacement Project will be completed the following day after replacing 1,220 linear feet of sewer main and reconnecting individual laterals.
Township Manager Edward C. Wagner warned that the proposed 2025 Lower Pottsgrove Township Authority budget initially shows a $280,000 increase despite decreased flows. Wagner said the Borough of Pottstown’s proposed $3.5 million capital budget recently grew after adding a dryer condenser costing about $600,000, and he and authority staff (including Mr. Ebert) will request a line-by-line review of the borough budget to explain increases and to avoid another rate increase for township customers.
Commissioner Michael McGroarty proposed the board investigate the feasibility of the township obtaining its own wastewater treatment plant as a potential long-term way to control costs; the board voted unanimously to direct staff to study the option. McGroarty emphasized this was a feasibility study only, not an immediate proposal.
Why it matters: The sewer authority budget and intermunicipal costs paid to the Borough of Pottstown affect township sewer rates. The Hilltop Road project’s completion restores local sewer infrastructure, while further budget scrutiny and a feasibility study could lead to strategic decisions affecting rates and long-term capital planning.
Next steps: Wagner and authority representatives will seek a detailed review of the Pottstown budget line items and prepare a feasibility assessment on a township-owned wastewater treatment plant for future board consideration.
