HARRISBURG – Gov, Edward G. Rendell awarded $2.2 million in sewage facilities enforcement grants to 281 local agencies to reimburse costs associated with permitting on-lot sewage systems during 2008.
In Clearfield County, the following were awarded grants: Clearfield County Sewage Committee — $8,728.19 and Sandy Township — $1,574.64
The annual grants are awarded through Act 537, the Pennsylvania Sewage Facilities Act, which authorizes the Department of Environmental Protection to reimburse local governments for a percentage of the annual costs incurred in assuring that new and repaired on-lot systems are properly sited, designed, permitted and inspected.
“More than half of Pennsylvania’s residents rely on wells and groundwater for drinking water, so it is vitally important that we give local government the support to protect these resources through sewage Enforcement Grants,” Rendell said. “We worked with the legislature to continue funding this program, but we also encourage municipalities to consider following the successful models of other local agencies and attempt to recover additional program costs, perhaps even the full cost of administering the program, through increased permit fees.”
Act 537 requires municipalities, either individually or as members of multi-municipal sewage agencies, to enforce on-lot sewage system requirements, including evaluating and permitting new systems, properly repairing malfunctioning systems, and investigating complaints in a timely manner. These duties are carried out by sewage enforcement officers, who must pass a state-administered test in order to receive certification from a state board.
Act 537 authorizes DEP to reimburse up to 85 percent of the remaining local share. The department is currently providing reimbursements that are approximately 60 percent lower than in previous years due to economic conditions. Under reductions in the 2009-10 budget, the department will reimburse applicants at 42.5 percent of their eligible costs.
Malfunctioning sewer systems are one of the prime causes of waterborne disease. There are more than one million on-lot septic systems in Pennsylvania serving an estimated 3.7 million people.
For more information, visit online, keyword: DEP Act 537.
Media contacts:
Tom Rathbun, DEP; 717-787-1323
Michael Smith, Governor’s Office; 717-783-1116
Editor’s Note: The following is a listing, by county, of the $2,184,979.09 in sewage enforcement grants awarded by DEP:
ADAMS COUNTY
Berwick Township — $343.23
Franklin Township — 4,283.39
Freedom Township — $425.18
Hamilton Township — $557.77
Hamiltonban Township — $1,155.11
Highland Township — $952.80
Latimore Township – $654.50
Mount Pleasant Township — $1,635.06
Straban Township — $1,396.66
Union Township — $1,229.25
ALLEGHENY COUNTY
Allegheny County Health Department — $26,568.10
ARMSTRONG COUNTY
Armstrong County Sewage Enforcement Agency — $30,424.56
BEAVER COUNTY
Greene Township — $1,220.96
Marion Township — $324.41
Potter Township — $874.75
BEDFORD COUNTY
Bedford County Township and Borough Sanitary Corp. — $66,161.23
Juniata Township — $902.38
South Woodbury Township — $3,240.63
Woodbury Township — $881.88
BERKS COUNTY
Amity Township — $9,109.79
Bern Township — $1,452.47
Bethel Township – $203.58
Brecknock Township — $3,565.57
Caernarvon Township — $3,061.17
Centre Township — $291.66
Cumru Township — $1,617.80
Earl Township — $2,362.91
Exeter Township — $1,811.69
Greenwich Township — $2,409.31
Hamburg Borough — $35.25
Heidelberg Township — $2,039.93
Hereford Township — $2,950.70
Jefferson Township — $368.79
Lower Alsace Township — $1,188.96
Maidencreek Township — $890.50
Mohnton Borough — $44.57
North Heidelberg Township — $1,059.84
Pike Township — $2,142.26
Richmond Township — $1,337.26
Robeson Township — $5,772.46
Ruscombmanor Township — $3,462.50
South Heidelberg Township — $3,343.26
Upper Bern Township — $3,776.07
Upper Tulpehocken Township — $565.04
Washington Township — $1,187.30
BLAIR COUNTY
Blair County Sanitary Administrative Committee — $50,605.75
BRADFORD COUNTY
Bradford County Sanitation Committee — $94,586.47
BUCKS COUNTY
Bucks County Health Department — $118,980.20
BUTLER COUNTY
Adams Township — $1,189.53
Butler County Sewage Association — $95,233.22
Clinton Township — $2,478.35
Middlesex Township — $1,578.42
Penn Township — $4,169.26
Winfield Township — $1,637.08
CAMBRIA COUNTY
Cambria County Sewage Enforcement Agency — $42,332.34
Grove Township — $390.64
CAMERON COUNTY
Shippen Township — $345.49
CARBON COUNTY
Banks Township — $63.75
Kidder Township — $8,034.72
Lausanne Township — $308.13
Lehigh Township — $142.38
Mahoning Township — $1,728.11
Packer Township — $918
CENTRE COUNTY
Benner Township — $632.61
Boggs Township — $497.67
Centre Region Code Administration — $2,350.62
College Township — $495.13
Curtin Township — $391
Haines Township — $1,488.14
Harris Township — $1,588.05
Millheim Borouigh — $140.25
Spring Township — $440.30
CHESTER COUNTY
Chester County Commissioners — $465,714.58
CLARION COUNTY
Clarion County Sewage Association — $35,608.59
CLEARFIELD COUNTY
Clearfield County Sewage Committee — $8,728.19
Sandy Township — $1,574.64
CLINTON COUNTY
Bald Eagle Township — $558.88
Colebrook Township — $340
East Keating Township — $102
Pine Creek Township — $53.13
Porter Township — $170
Wayne Township — $382.50
COLUMBIA COUNTY
Beaver Township — $1,469.44
Briar Creek Township — $1,630.89
Columbia County Sanitary Administration Committee — $39,242.44
CRAWFORD COUNTY
Hayfield Township — $603.86
Spring Township — $240.86
Troy Township — $259.25
Vernon Township — $347.84
CUMBERLAND COUNTY
East Pennsboro Township — $2,591.97
Lower Frankford Township — $229.50
Monroe Township — $2,351.44
North Newton Township — $698.85
Penn Township — $698.85
Upper Mifflin Township — $1,351.20
West Pennsboro Township — $3,410.69
DAUPHIN COUNTY
Lower Paxton Township — $78.63
Middle Paxton Township – $1,448.40
South Hanover Township — $873.80
DELAWARE COUNTY
Thornbury Township — $850
ELK COUNTY
Benezette Township — $847.59
Fox Township — $398.91
Highland Township — $224.26
Jay Township — $250.94
Ridgway Township — $483.92
Spring Creek Township — $494.28
City of St. Marys — $656.34
ERIE COUNTY
Erie County Health Department — $109,771.96
FAYETTE COUNTY
Nicholson Township — $183.01
FOREST COUNTY
Howe Township — $476.00
Jenks Township — $1,719.13
FRANKLIN COUNTY
Guilford Township — $1,793.29
Hamilton Township — $878.53
Letterkenny Township — $251.63
Lurgan Township — $331.70
FULTON COUNTY
Belfast Township — $817.38
GREENE COUNTY
Franklin Township — $255.00
Wayne Township — $510.00
HUNTINGDON COUNTY
Barree Township — $21.25
Cass Township — $807.50
Cromwell Township — $806.19
Dublin Township — $446.25
Jackson Township — $1,073.13
Lincoln Township — $595.00
Marklesburg Borough — $85.00
Miller Township — $199.75
Morris Township — $510.00
Oneida Township — $956.25
Penn Township — $2,054.88
Porter Township — $2,447.12
Shirley Township — $1,652.46
Springfield Township — $988.13
Spruce Creek Township — $286.88
Tell Township — $1,211.25
Walker Township — $875.50
West Township — $688.50
INDIANA COUNTY
Indiana County Sewage Enforcement Agency — $43,851.60
JEFFERSON COUNTY
Jefferson County Sewage Association — $17,727.94
Snyder Township — $372.02
JUNIATA COUNTY
Juniata Sewage Committee — $47,088.95
Walker Township — $1,113.50
LACKAWANNA COUNTY
Abington Township — $1,273.61
Archbald Borough — $2,248.54
Benton Township — $1,471.57
Blakely Borough — $532.41
Clarks Summit Borough — $210.85
Glenburn Township — $4,132.70
La Plume Township — $471.27
North Abington Township — $4,349.02
Ransom Township — $1,837.00
South Abington Township — $1,463.94
LANCASTER COUNTY
Bart Township — $136.00
Clay Township — $1,413.05
Conoy Township — $892.50
East Earl Township — $3,695.49
Elizabeth Township — $4,229.92
Martic Township — $1,911.05
Pequea Township — $3,234.60
Rapho Township — $1,711.74
West Cocalico Township — $2,654.27
West Lampeter Township — $571.99
LAWRENCE COUNTY
Wilmington Township — $457.94
LEBANON COUNTY
Bethel Township — $193.11
Lebanon County Planning Department — $59,822.96
Union Township — $294.21
LEHIGH COUNTY
Lynn Township — $989.40
LUZERNE COUNTY
Black Creek Township — $1,557.63
Butler Township — $1,303.69
Conyngham Borough — $79.69
Conyngham Township — $47.81
Dorrance Township — $926.90
Franklin Township –$1,395.87
Hollenback Township — $392.58
Nuangola Borough — $201.88
Ross Township — $908.27
Sugarloaf Township — $3,048.31
Union Township — $790.50
LYCOMING COUNTY
Cogan House Township — $36.56
Lycoming Sanitary Committee — $112,211.61
Mifflin Township — $203.26
MCKEAN COUNTY
Bradford Township — $401.63
Corydon Township — $838.31
Eldred Township — $635.38
Foster Township — $263.50
Hamilton Township — $99.88
Hamlin Township — $619.44
Lafayette Township — $568.23
Sergeant Township — $280.50
Wetmore Township — $340.02
MERCER COUNTY
City of Hermitage — $269.15
Mercer County Joint Sewage Agency — $5,953.20
MIFFLIN COUNTY
Armagh Township — $3,393.63
Bratton Township — $1,585.74
Brown Township — $929.00
Decatur Township — $5,064.22
Derry Township — $123.25
Menno Township — $1,819.00
Wayne Township — $1,043.30
MONROE COUNTY
Jackson Township — $3,476.89
MONTGOMERY COUNTY
Montgomery County Health Department — $201,727.90
Towamencin Township — $5,222.19
MONTOUR COUNTY
Anthony Township — $247.01
Liberty Township — $926.50
NORTHAMPTON COUNTY
Lehigh Township — $9,688.73
NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY
Ralpho Township — $707.63
Rush Township — $1,119.88
Upper Mahanoy Township — $526.79
Washington Township — $296.85
PERRY COUNTY
Miller Township — $153.00
Rye Township — $775.73
Tuscarora Township — $794.75
Wheatfield Township — $428.69
PHILADELPHIA COUNTY
City of Philadelphia Department of Health — $266.94
POTTER COUNTY
Genesee Township — $502.03
Oswayo Borough — $195.93
Roulette Township — $241.61
Wharton Township — $100.73
SCHUYLKILL COUNTY
Barry Township — $408.00
Cass Township — $297.79
Hubley Township — $102.00
North Union Township — $933.94
Orwigsburg Borough — $63.75
Port Clinton Borough — $177.95
Rush Township — $643.88
Union Township — $659.81
Walker Township — $433.50
Washington Township — $248.63
West Brunswick Township — $675.75
West Mahanoy Township — $89.25
West Penn Township — $2,484.13
SNYDER COUNTY
Middlecreek Township — $745.88
Perry Township — $267.75
Snyder County Sewage Code Enforcement Commission — $30,616.73
Washington Township — $1,166.63
West Perry Township — $476.00
SOMERSET COUNTY
Addison Township — $1,072.48
Callimont Borough — $126.12
Greenville Township — $156.63
Indian Lake Borough — $1,145.41
Jefferson Township — $706.27
Jenner Township — $988.93
Larimer Township — $307.82
Lower Turkeyfoot Township — $644.14
Somerset Township — $1,389.75
Southampton Township — $198.65
SUSQUEHANNA COUNTY
Susquehanna County COG Sewage Committee — $71,302.45
TIOGA COUNTY
North Central Sewage Agency — $64,129.67
UNION COUNTY
Central Keystone Council of Governments — $8,576.82
VENANGO COUNTY
Allegheny Township — $210.38
Oil Creek Township — $77.56
WARREN COUNTY
Cherry Grove Township — $501.50
Columbus Township — $1,264.38
Conewango Township — $437.75
Elk Township — $847.88
Freehold Township — $449.44
Glade Township — $775.63
Limestone Township — $1,012.56
Mead Township — $131.75
Pine Grove Township — $996.63
Pittsfield Township — $287.09
Pleasant Township — $770.21
Sheffield Township — $194.44
Spring Creek Township — $864.88
Sugar Grove Township — $709.75
Triumph Township — $439.88
WASHINGTON COUNTY
Washington County Sewage Council — $30,523.64
WAYNE COUNTY
Dreher Township — $1,662.26
Sterling Township — $657.67
WESTMORELAND COUNTY
Allegheny Township — $2,516.32
Rostraver Township — $1,034.85
Upper Burrell Township — $1,080.56
WYOMING COUNTY
Eaton Township — $263.53
Tunkhannock Township — $1,205.49
YORK COUNTY
Carroll Township — $3,334.65
Cross Roads Borough — $174.25
East Hopewell Township — $1,175.13
Franklin Township — $1,211.90
Jackson Township — $6,389.07
Newberry Township –$3,066.60
North Hopewell Township — $539.75
Warrington Township — $4,162.90