Residents of Summit Township who will be affected by the installation of public sewage in the community will have another chance to have the $6,000 mandatory tap-in fee paid this spring.

The township has opened applications for residents to apply for the Community Development Block Grant, which has around $80,000 available to cover residents’ tap-in fees, which need to be paid for them to use the proposed public sewage.

Wendy Leslie, block grant administrator for Butler County, said many residents of the township have already taken advantage of the grant since 2018.

“They get an allocation every year and decide how to spend that … They have been really diligent in using the money for this each year,” Leslie said of Summit Township administrators. “We paid for 27 owner-occupied residents so far.”

David Barry, Summit Township sewer authority chairman, said the proposed sewer system would affect about 360 homes, many of which are in and around the Herman area.

Barry also said there will be about 400 equivalent dwelling units, or EDUs, installed through the project. An equivalent dwelling unit, or EDU, is a measure of the service needed to serve a single family home. Some businesses will have more than one EDU.

If a resident’s block grant application is approved through Butler County, the $6,000 tap-in fee will be paid directly to Summit Township’s sewer authority under their name.

“They'll have to put their name in and it will go to the county and they will evaluate the application,” Barry said. “It's going to be a big help for everyone.”

Leslie said Summit Township residents can submit an application online, or at the Summit Township municipal building. The deadline to apply for this round of funding is July 31.

According to Barry, the township is in the midst of obtaining permits to begin work on installing a sewage system. He said he has met with officials with the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority (PennVEST) to apply for state money to install the sewage system.

Barry said the township plans to submit an application in November, and if it is approved, work could begin next year. Barry said previously that he hopes PennVEST money could cover up to 60% of the potential $16.5 million cost to install the system.

“If it's favorable and they accept it, we will be looking at going out for bids and to start digging next year around this time,” Barry said, “but that's being optimistic.”

For more information on the block grant application, visit summittwp.org.