A major sewer line cleaning project is under way in Monessen and will start this summer in Donora.
The Mon Valley Sewage Authority hired Mr. Rehab, a Harrisburg-based company, to clean and videotape sewerpipes in Monessen and Donora for $480,000.
While both Monessen and Donora own their respective municipal sewer lines, the sewage those lines carry is treated by the Mon Valley Sewage Authority.
Authority General Manager Tom Salak said his organization serves approximately 3,850 customers in Monessen and 2,114 in Donora.
Salak said the crews will first complete the cleaning and videotaping in Monessen before moving into Donora.
There are approximately 350,000 feet of sewer pipes in both communities.
Crews started work on Tuesday in the Pacific Boulevard/Park Plan area in the city.
Salak explained the crews will work from the top of the water shed, in the higher areas, and work their way down.
Crews will work Mondays through Thursday, about 10 to 12 hours daily.
While Salak said residents should not be inconvenienced by the work, they may be asked to move their vehicles if they are parked on top of manhole covers.
The tentative work schedule calls for the project to be completed in Monessen by mid-June.
Plans call for the Donora phase of the project to end by Nov. 21.
Salak said the project is part of the authority's long-term control plan, which is mandated by the state Department of Environmental Protection.
Following completion of the project, the results will be provided to leaders in both communities, who are currently mulling the idea of having the authority take over ownership of the sewer lines.
