After seven years of struggle, stress and difficult decisions, the Butler Area Sewer Authority has fulfilled a massive regulatory mandate.

The state Department of Environmental Protection has signed off on a $41 million upgrade to the region’s sanitary sewer system and has lifted penalizing restrictions imposed in 2006. The sewer system serves residents of East Butler and the townships of Butler, Center, Summit, Oakland and Connoquenessing as well as the city.

From a regulatory standpoint, the costly renovation and expansion has several purposes: to keep stormwater out of the sanitary sewers; to keep raw sewage overflows out of Connoquenessing Creek and other streams; and, to an extent, to keep state and federal regulators out of our municipal affairs.

One of the regulatory restrictions imposed a limit of new customer tap-ins — a cause for concern because such limits can curtail new construction.

The remedy included the installation of seven massive holding tanks capable of holding a combined 22.1 million gallons of sewage.

Before the tanks were completed, excess rain would flood the authority’s system and cause overflowing sewage to run into streams that empty into Connoquenessing Creek. With the tanks, the sewer system retains raw sewage during heavy rains and processes the accumulated sewage after the streams have subsided.

The economic impact on the community can’t be ignored and should not be understated. Much of the $41 million came from a state loan that must be repaid. Rate hikes staggered over the past three years amount to an additional $5 per month, or $60 per year, for residential customers. Tom Rockovich, executive director of the authority, said there won’t be any more rate increases related to the debt service. Even so, residential customers paying $324 per year for service now pay $384 per year.

Through all the turmoil, expense and regulatory oversight, it’s easy to lose sight of the primary objective: a healthy, clean and safe community environment.

The Connoquenessing Creek should be preserved and protected as a community asset. It’s not an open sewer. Likewise, a community sewer system should serve its purpose of separating human waste from water.

Ultimately, our community — our neighbors and children — deserve a clean and healthy home environment. The additional $5 per month expense and the persistent, hard work of the sewer authority raises our expectation of having it.