CLEARFIELD – Concerns regarding closing the Hyde Sanitary Sewer Overflow and also plans to possibly extend the water main extension project topped the Clearfield Municipal Authority’s meeting Tuesday.
CMA is facing a deadline imposed by the state Department of Environmental Protection of Sept. 1 to have the SSO in Hyde closed. In his report, Engineer Jim Balliet reported the SSO was opened 13 days between Feb. 15 and March 2, resulting in a fine of $11,250.
The township is responsible for 80 percent, or $9,000, and CMA the remaining 20 percent. Once they pass the deadline, the fine will increase to $10,000 for every day the SSO is opened.
Balliet said they met with a township representative, the township’s solicitor and also the township’s engineer to discuss the corrective action plan the township has undertaken.
The plan has been to televise laterals of homes in the area during rain events to determine which have problems, including sump pumps or French drains illegally tied into the sewer laterals or leaks.
The township then has sent out letters to those in violation to get the problems fixed.
The CMA board is concerned that the efforts by the township are too little, too late. Chairman Russ Triponey noted that DEP ordered that the SSO be closed five years ago, but the township didn’t make any efforts until recently, and there is no guarantee that the current plan will take care of the problem.
Balliet reminded the board that they had asked for an extension from DEP last year, but it was denied. A plan to build a holding tank was also denied. He said there are not many more options left.
One thing that has been suggested, allowing the water to flow to the sewer plant, would require replacing interceptors, a pump station and some piping, and Balliet said the project could easily cost over $10 million and that would simply not be feasible.
CMA representatives and the township representatives have a meeting scheduled with DEP in April to review where the township is in their corrective action.
Balliet also talked about the possibility of adding to the Pine Grove North water main extension project. DEP is looking to see if additional grant money can be added to the project and expand the project. If the money becomes available, an additional five miles could be added to the project.
There are three possible areas that could be added. Area A begins at the intersection of Carbon Mine Road and Read Road and goes south to Old Erie Pike, then east to the intersection of the Clearfield-Glen Richey Highway, then north to the intersection of Pine Grove Nursery Road.
Area B begins at Pine Grove Nursery Road and runs south to Old Erie Pike and then east to Log Cabin Road then northwest to the intersection with Larson Road. Area C begins at the intersection of Bloom and Clover Hill roads and goes south along Scribbers Road to an abandoned railroad bridge.
Balliet emphasized that if DEP cannot get any more grant money, these three sections will not be added to the project, which is scheduled for this summer.
The board also learned that PennDOT is proposing reconstruction of Front Street and has informed CMA that the 10-inch cast iron waterline will need replaced. The length of line to be replaced is 2,700 feet and Balliet estimates the cost to be around $1.2 million.
He said they hope to take advantage of PennDOT’s cost sharing program where PennDOT would pay for 75 percent of the project. The reconstruction of Front Street, from U.S. Route 322 to Choice gas station is planned for 2019.
Finally, Manager John Williams brought up the matter of the crawler camera shared by CMA, Clearfield Borough and Lawrence Township.
He said the machine, used to televise underground pipe, regularly needs repairs. Furthermore, CMA has not used it for at least two years as it is too big for most of its lines.
He proposed CMA learn how they can extract the authority from the agreement with the other two and then look into purchasing a camera system that will work better for CMA.
Currently, not only do the three entities jointly own the machine, when repairs need done the cost is split three ways. If CMA purchases a new system, they would devise a policy of lending it to the other two, but CMA crews would operate it and be in charge of the machine.