Sewer plant nearly ready
EVANS CITY — The old sewer plant that has been giving borough officials headaches for years will be replaced with a high-tech plant at the end of next month.
But the $1.9 million project will increase rates for residential and commercial customers, according to Tim Schoeffel, chairman of the Evans City Water and Sewer Authority, on Monday.
The plant serves 850 residential, commercial and industrial customers in Evans City, Callery, and portions of Jackson and Forward townships.
The average monthly residential rate of $43.20 will increase to $74.70 once the new plant off North Washington Street Extension is in operation. The average monthly commercial rate will rise by 74 percent, Schoeffel said.
The plant’s capacity of 500,000 gallons per day will increase to 850,000 with the new plant. Schoeffel said that will allow about 400,000 gallons of additional capacity that would be available later for neighboring communities that may want to use the plant.
Work on the new plant began about a year ago, and construction was ongoing over the spring, summer and fall, Schoeffel said. The new plant replaces the old plant at the same location, which was built in 1975.
Schoeffel said the new plant will improve the quality of waste water discharged into the Breakneck Creek. It also will be able to handle heavy rain, which at times cause the current plant to overflow.
He said officials first thought parts from the current plant could be used in the construction of the new plant.
“But we found that they were too far gone to do that,” Schoeffel said.
He said the borough, and now the authority, has long struggled to keep the aging sewer plant up to state Department of Environmental Protection code.
Schoeffel said that after the new plant is running, most of the old plant will be demolished in the spring.
A revenue bond issued by the authority is funding the new plant, Schoeffel said.
He said the authority is talking with Forward Township to service homes and businesses along Mars-Evans City Road. Expansion could also occur along Route 68 in Forward and Jackson townships, Schoeffel said.
“The new wastewater treatment plant will be a state-of-the-art facility capable of handling expansion services to areas outside the borough,” Schoeffel said. “Expanding into other areas will favorably affect future sewer rates.”
He said while the full-time employee will remain at the new plant to provide the preventive maintenance that was lacking in the current plant’s early years, that position may be reduced to part-time after the new plant has operated smoothly for several months.
Lee Dyer, borough council president, is relieved that the new sewage treatment plant is finally coming to the borough.
“Tim Schoeffel and the entire authority have done a yeoman’s job pulling this all together,” Dyer said.
He said as more residential and commercial development grows into the municipalities surrounding the borough, new infrastructure will be required.
“This is a real opportunity for us to offer capacity at this facility for a long time,” Dyer said, “and Evans City will not have to worry about sewer treatment for at least the next 20 years.”
