Municipal Authority of the City of McKeesport celebrates $62.5M expansion
The Municipal Authority of the City of McKeesport celebrated the completion of a multiyear $62.5 million system expansion plan on Monday.
The authority previously had a daily treatment capacity of 21 million gallons at its plant in the Tenth Ward. Now the plant can treat up to 56 million gallons of sewage a day and authority superintendent Chuck Schultz said that puts it into compliance with federal, state and county clean water standards.
“We are so glad that this is complete,” Schultz said. “It was a two-year project that took five years” to finish.
Officials involved with the project said plans to expand the system and plant have been in the works for about a decade.
State Sen. James R. Brewster, D-McKeesport, said he was mayor of the city and serving on the authority board when the idea of expanding the plant to comply with demands of the Pennsylvania Sewage Facilities Act 537 initially was discussed.
“We knew smaller treatment plants were becoming extinct,” Brewster said. “The fewer (plants) you have, the better off you are.”
Authority chairman Dale McCall said the authority committed to an expansion plan early and has subsequently come into compliance with clean water standards sooner than other local sewage authorities.
This is the second time the plant, which was built as a primary treatment facility in 1960, has been expanded. In 1975 the facility was rebuilt to provide secondary treatment that removes additional solids from wastewater.
This second expansion, which was completed a few months ago, included the rebuilding of three pump stations, construction of two new pump stations and $34 million in improvements at the plant.
The new pump stations are located along River Road in Port Vue and off Ripple Road in White Oak. The plant upgrades include new treatment tanks, a lab facility and an operators center.
The authority's service area encompasses 12 communities.
This summer, McKeesport Mayor Michael Cherepko announced the city was looking to lease operational rights for the authority in order to generate revenue.
On Monday, Cherepko said the city still would like to see that happen.
“It would help balance the city's books,” Cherepko said.
Cherepko said a request for proposals generated “six or seven” responses from prospective operators interested in leasing the system. The mayor said a determination on the leasing option could happen within the next three to four months.
Eric Slagle is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. He can be reached at 412-664-9161, ext. 1966, or eslagle@tribweb.com.
