Vandergrift awards sewer repair contract, considers fee waiver

Vandergrift council awarded a $117,000 contract to Excavation Contracting by Eremik of Apollo for various sewage repairs in the borough.

The borough felt an earlier round of bids received last month came in too high, so officials reduced the scope of the work.

Eremik will repair a storm sewer on Pennsylvania Avenue for about $67,500 and the storm sewer between Indiana and Delaware avenues for $22,000, It will replace 100 feet of collapsed sanitary sewer pipes for $11,000, and four backflow devices will be installed for $16,800 near four homes where backups occurred during heavy rains from Hurricane Gordon in September.

Other bidders to the project were A. Folino of Oakmont, Winfall Energy of Allegheny Township, Iron City Construction of Freedom, K&D Construction of Irwin and Lutterman Excavating of Greensburg.

The money for the project will be provided by the borough’s sewer fund.

Borough officials want the project to start as soon as possible since much of the underground work can be done during the winter.

Sewer waiver considered

Property owners who take over adjacent, abandoned properties might not have to pay a monthly debt service fee in the near future to the Kiski Valley Water Pollution Control Authority.

Borough council is considering an ordinance that would waive the fees to the property owner since a house razed won’t be using the sewerage system.

Language of the proposed ordinance might include a clause where the owner of the adjacent property won’t build on it or they would have to pay a re-tap fee.

Solicitor Larry Loperfito said this is a “limited situation” that would provide an incentive to take over an adjacent property that has been abandoned.

Council could adopt the new ordinance as soon as January, Loperfito said.

George Guido is a freelance writer.