The lack of a long line for eight available Butler Area Sewer Authority tap-in permits surprised BASA officials, at least initially.

But upon further reflection, the lack of a long line of interest at BASA's office Thursday morning wasn't much of a surprise after all.

Rising interest rates and uncertainties tied to the national economy have caused some people to delay their dream of having a new home. And, it's understandable that many builders probably have focused their attention on communities outside the BASA service area because of the months-long uncertainty as to when the sewer-permits process would reopen for BASA's seven municipalities.

Meanwhile, the requirements that had to be in place before the authority would even consider approving a sewer service application no doubt proved impossible for some people to meet by Thursday, even those most eager to get a new home under construction.

The availability of the permits had come on too short of a notice for some people. There had not been any prior public notice that any permits might be available before BASA, its member municipalities and the state Department of Environmental Protection reached agreement on a new consent agreement regarding elimination of stormwater infiltration into the sanitary sewer system.

It was the authority's failure to meet all of the requirements of a 2001 consent agreement by Dec. 31, 2005, that caused DEP to impose a moratorium on the issuance of new tap-in permits.

That moratorium has been in effect since February.

The eight permits in question are not new permits but, instead, previously authorized permits unused because they either were revoked or surrendered.

In its announcement about the eight available permits, BASA had said last week that applications for the eight single-family residential unit permits would not be approved unless applicants already had a loan commitment and an executed construction contract.

Such requirements are difficult to comply with in a time frame of just a couple of days.

The bottom line remains that BASA and its member municipalities — the City of Butler, East Butler Borough, and Butler, Center, Connoquenessing, Oakland and Summit townships — have lost much of the 2006 construction season as the result of a moratorium that accomplished virtually nothing besides dealing a blow to the local economy.

DEP shouldn't regard that as one of its positive accomplishments.

What is being accomplished by BASA regarding the infiltration problem could have been done without the permits shut-off being in effect.

The latest word from John Schon, BASA manager, is that a new consent agreement could be in place sometime in August, but at this juncture that is just an estimate.

Thanks to the DEP, new construction in the BASA service area continues to remain in limbo.

Eight tap-ins aren't the makings of a revived construction season.