DUBOIS – DuBois City Council addressed Sandy Township’s sewage infrastructure issue at Monday night’s meeting.
Township resident Audrey Pittsley was in attendance to hear city officials’ side of the debate about the sewer rate.
She had been in attendance for the previous Sandy Township Municipal Authority and Supervisors meetings.
Pittsley wanted to learn about the inflow and infiltration surcharge that the township’s sewer customers are now being required to pay.
Sandy officials had answered some of her questions but also made it sound as though DuBois City treated the township differently and they didn’t have any control over the sewer rates.
Pittsley asked three questions about DuBois City’s and Sandy Township’s water and sewer relationship:
- Is Sandy Township being charged a similar rate?
- Is Sandy Township not being issued any more sewer taps?
- What is the problem with the township’s infrastructure?
Rates
City Manager John Suplizio started by saying that Sandy Township is getting water cheaper than the citizens of DuBois City.
Although no one could recall an exact rate during the meeting, they thought it was in the $5 per 1,000 gallons range. They said DuBois City citizens pay $6 for the same water usage.
So far as sewer rates, he said almost every customer is charged $9 per 1,000 gallons, except for Falls Creek customers.
“We, as the city, have the right to set a fair and reasonable rate, which in my legal opinion, the city has done,” said City Solicitor Toni Cherry.
Falls Creek is an exception as it owns an independent sewer system. It connects to the DuBois sewage treatment plant directly, where incoming flow is measured by a master meter.
Falls Creek customers are charged less, as DuBois City does not need to maintain any sewer lines to provide them with service.
DuBois City and Sandy Township customers use city sewer lines. Suplizio estimated – based upon Pittsley’s address – that her sewage goes through about 400 feet of Sandy Township-owned sewer lines before another four miles in city-owned pipes.
Suplizio was asked by the press after the meeting about Sandy Township Engineer Perry Bowser’s statement at the township meeting.
Bower stated that the township was “unique” in terms of how it was being charged for its sewer use. He indicated that everyone else was charged based upon water usage.
Suplizio explained that Sandy Township and Falls Creek, as the only municipality customers of DuBois City, were both charged the same way.
He said Falls Creek has a single master meter for flow entering the city’s system directly at the sewage treatment facility.
However, he said the township’s bill is based upon measuring the flow at the master meters at every point where its sewer system taps into the city’s system.
About a year ago, DuBois City officials switched from water usage billing to measure the actual incoming sewer flow to curb inflow and infiltration.
According to a previous report, inflow and infiltration is any unintended, extra sewer flow from outside sources, which must still be treated at the facility. It resulted in a drastic increase in Sandy Township’s bill.
Sewer Taps and Contracts
Suplizio said that new water taps would be approved for Sandy Township. However, sewer taps were a touchy subject.
“We want to have a contract in place before we sell more services,” said City Engineer Chris Nasuti.
Several DuBois City officials explained that there currently is not a written contract between Sandy Township and the city for the township to send its sewage to the city.
Until one in enacted, DuBois City officials do not want to authorize any additional sewer taps.
It was noted that a non-written contract is being presumed as the city is offering system use for a set price, and Sandy Township has continued to make use of it. The township has not been cut off due to the lack of a written contract.
The city has reached out to the township and its engineer. “We’re ready to sit down at the table any time. We think this is a big issue, and we don’t understand why this isn’t a big deal to them,” Suplizio said.
Infrastructure
DuBois City officials gave Pittsley a simple answer on Sandy Township’s infrastructure issues.
“The system is old. It is old in the city. It is old in the township. The lines are leaky. When it rains like today, the water gets in,” Suplizio said.
Suplizio, in response to the mention of consolidation, gave his own personal opinion on the matter.
“Maybe, it is time to revisit [consolidation],” he said. “Then, [the sewer debate] all goes away.”