Officials plan to break ground within a year on a long-awaited sewerage line to Buffalo Township.
The pipeline will cost about $7 million and take two years to build, Supervisor Michael Robb said.
He expects fellow supervisors to approve a publicly displayed Act 537 sewage plan by October. State Department of Environmental Protection officials will then begin their review.
For about 10 years, township officials have been looking for a way to comply with a DEP directive stipulating that defective septic systems must be replaced by public lines.
About 320 homes in the Cabot, Knox Chapel and Marwood neighborhoods would be serviced by the line. Currently, about one-third of those homes have malfunctioning septic systems, Robb said.
"Obviously, if there isn't the availability of a close stream or waterway, it's going to seep into the ground and the groundwater system," he said. "That's where DEP is saying we have to make sure we're not leeching raw sewage into the ground and we're also not letting that leech into waterbeds, streams -- those kind of things."
Flat Top Acres, a townhouse plan proposed for 50 acres of farmland near the Buffalo Township border, has been in limbo for years while developers sought a way to provide public sewerage.
If Winfield joins the Municipal Authority of Buffalo Township, it is likely sewerage lines would be available to Flat Top Acres.
Supervisors considered two additional plans before settling on a line to Buffalo Township, Robb said. They decided it would be cost-prohibitive to build their own waste plant or build a pumping station to get waste to Saxonburg's plant.
Residents will be responsible for a $6,000 tap-in fee and an estimated $67 per-month fee once the line is in service, Robb said.
"The township is going to work with every resident that's eligible to get loans, grants and any other monetary supplements that will help reduce their costs," he said. "We're not just trying to say, 'Hey, it's $6,000, and you've got to pay it.' There are federal and state programs out there to lift those burdens.
"We know this is going to be a struggle for many people, so we're trying to give plenty of notice."
Margaret Traggiai, 88, of Winfield Road, said she isn't sure how she will save for the tap-in fee.
"I'm an old lady," she said. "I don't think I could afford that much. I have a couple of daughters, so I can talk it over with them. I don't even know that I'll be around in two years."
Robb said township officials have no payment plan structures or lien procedures in place, though he said they will follow standard utility conventions.
"I'm assuming that if someone is delinquent on their payments for any type of utility or loan, there is a standard regulatory legal action that we can pursue," he said. "It creates a burden on everyone in the whole system." Additional Information:
City sewerage on tap
Supervisors hope to begin installing a sewerage line connecting 320 homes in Cabot, Knox Chapel and Marwood to a waste plant in Buffalo Township.
The line should be complete two years after construction begins. Here's some of the estimated costs surrounding the line:
• Total cost: $7 million
• Monthly fee per household: $67
• Tap-in fee: $6,000
