CLEARFIELD – Engineering updates topped the brief Clearfield Municipal Authority meeting Tuesday.
Engineer Jim Balliet of Gwin, Dobson and Foreman Engineers Inc. reported that a letter was sent to the state Department of Environmental Protection requesting an extension of the long-term control plan schedule due to the planned takeover of the borough and township sewer lines.
DEP met with Balliet and Manager John Williams on Monday and they discussed the Combined Sewer Overflow at lift station one, near Buck’s Pizza, and the Sanitary Sewer Overflow near Hyde, both of which DEP wants closed.
During the meeting, DEP agreed to delaying plans to close the CSO for now. Balliet said that was very good news, as it is expected to be a costly project. DEP wants a plan in place by 2025 and the CSO closed by 2030.
For the SSO, however, DEP said they will continue to fine CMA for any events where the overflow has to be opened because there was already a consent order in place with Lawrence Township to close it by Sept. 1, 2018, a deadline that was not met.
Balliet said they need to take the new camera truck and start doing testing in the Hyde area to find inflow and infiltration problems, and also begin flow and smoke testing as well.
When asked if the township has been doing anything to track down problems since CMA agreed to take over their systems, Williams said they have been doing the home inspections, per their ordinance.
Balliet added that he has been working with the township’s new engineering firm, Keller Engineers, and they haven’t done anything in regards to the township’s sewer lines.
If there is a major, multi-day event where the SSO has to be opened, DEP could fine CMA the full amount, but Balliet is optimistic that if such an event should occur, DEP will take into consideration the current circumstances.
Plans are for the takeover to be done by July.