Kiski Township starts planning to expand public sewage to 700 households

Kiski Township is in the initial planning stage of a multi-million dollar sewerage project intended to provide a public sewage system for about 700 households in the most populated areas of the rural township.

Senate Engineering, the township engineer, is working on a study that calls for municipal sewer lines along the Route 56 corridor and the Orchard Hill and Spring Church neighborhoods.

While public sewage has been a long term issue in the township promising progress, some have wanted the area to remain rural and are concerned about more development and increased expenses, especially for elderly homeowners on fixed incomes.

For John Smith, 66, of Kiski Township, people who spent a lot of money on sand mounds for private sewage systems would lose out if they also will have to pay to tap into public sewerage systems.

“If they want to minimize resistance, they should make it so residents can write-off the investment in their sewage systems,” Smith said.

Some people feel that if isn’t broke, why fix it and why pay more for it?

Peggy Rae, 85, who has lived in the township in her own house with a private septic system since 1959, is against public sewers coming to her neighborhood.

“Why do I want to pay $2,000 or $3,000 to tap in plus another monthly expense?”

Officials have not said how much the tap cost might be.

She added, “I’m happy where I am.”

Tim Hileman, co-owner of Kistaco Farm and market along Route 56, a longtime business, would be impacted if the township would proceed with the project.

“Public sewerage is progress,” he said in a measured tone.

“But, I need to see not just the estimated number, but the exact numbers of the costs before I have an opinion,” he said.

Township leaders have long called for a sewage system to attract businesses and residential development along its main artery. One of the reasons for the recent hiring of the township’s first manager, Donna Piper, was to have a professional on staff who could write grants and deal with the scope of large public projects.

The project wouldtake place in phases in five- to seven-year intervals, generally the time it would take for obtaining approvals, permits, funding and construction, according to Michael Malak of Senate Engineering.

Only about 10 percent of the township currently is connected to public sewage.

The project would include:

• Phase One: Route 56, just outside of Apollo, covering about 360 households;
• Phase Two: Farther along Route 56, picking up 203 households and small businesses;
• Phase Three: The Spring Church section of Route 56, covering about 129 households.

Senate is working on a planning document known as an Act 537 study, required by the state Department of Environmental Protection, including a study of the condition of the existing on-lot sewage systems in the township.

Senate Engineering is working with the Sewage Enforcement Agency of Armstrong County to conduct the study.

Residents will receive some type of notification of the study, according to Malak.

“Homeowners have the choice to let them onto their property,” he said.

The more residents who participate, the better, he said.

According to the Sewage Enforcement Agency, there have been reports of malfunctioning on-lot sewage systems in the township. The county has previously recommended that the township consider public sewerage but there are no environmental orders requiring public sewerage in the township, according to Malak.

After the study is done, the supervisors will present the plan to the public in mid- to late-2019 before it goes to DEP for approval, he said.

After that, the township will look for funding.

There would be expenses for residents to tap into the system and the township can look into grants and other financing to assist with those costs, Malak said.

Mary Ann Thomas is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Mary Ann at 724-226-4691, mthomas@tribweb.com or via Twitter @MaThomas_Trib.