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MUNICIPAL SEWER SYSTEM CONSOLIDATION STUDIES
In early 2011, 3 Rivers Wet Weather awarded grants to dozens
of Allegheny County municipalities to explore options for consolidating
municipal sewer systems, which would ultimately save residents
millions of dollars and protect southwestern Pennsylvania’s
water resources at the same time.
A total of $495,000 was awarded for six projects representing
43 communities and authorities, who are collaborating to explore
options for consolidating their sewer collection system, which
is the most cost-effective, long-term strategy for the maintenance
and operation of our public sewage system.
Consolidation can take many forms from simple contract operation
and maintenance to more complete asset transfer. These six studies,
which were completed in late June 2011, explore a variety of options
that ultimately may serve as models for other communities interested
in following suit.
The Municipal
Sewer System Consolidation Studies Overview outlines the issues
identified by the municipalities throughout this grant process.
A summary of each of the six individual projects and their final
report follows:
CONNECT
(Congress of Neighboring Communities)
CONNECT comprises the City of Pittsburgh and
19 municipalities whose sewage drains through the Pittsburgh Water
and Sewer Authority system. CONNECT developed and evaluated different
management approaches that include:
• The continued operations by individual agreements between
PWSA and each municipality
• What processes a municipality could use if it considered
turning operations over to PWSA
• Standardizing agreements between PWSA and all municipalities
• ALCOSAN operating the major multijurisdictional sewer
lines
• Turning management over to PWSA or a joint authority
of the participating communities
Chartiers
Creek Watershed
The communities of Upper St. Clair, Mt. Lebanon, Scott Township
and Bridgeville explored the development of a cooperative agreement
related to sewer system ownership and operation in the George
Run, McLaughlin Run, Painters Run and Scrubgrass sewersheds. These
municipalities reported on the alternatives evaluated; an assessment
of the municipal willingness to consider the management alternatives;
and legal, technical and financial requirements of each alternative.
Ohio
River Basin
Four neighboring communities—McKees Rocks Borough, and Stowe,
Kennedy and Neville Townships— explored the issues, benefits,
costs and challenges associated with various joint management
alternatives, with one of the considerations being integration
of these local sewer entities into a new regional entity.
South
Fayette Township Municipal Authority
McDonald Municipal Authority, North Fayette Township, Oakdale
Borough, and South Fayette Municipal Authority evaluated joint
sewer system management alternatives. This group has operated
for the past 20 years as an unincorporated operating committee
for the Robinson Run tributary area and evaluated various alternatives
for expanding this cooperation within Robinson Run. This project
also explored opportunities to implement expanded services for
municipal sewer operation and management beyond the Robinson Run
sewershed with one alternative being the possible formation of
a joint sewer Authority.
Pine
Creek Watershed
The Borough of Etna, and Ross, Shaler and Indiana Townships looked
at options for more cost-effective sewer operation and maintenance
while assuring compliance with the municipal consent orders. Their
report on the alternatives evaluated, includes the advantages
and disadvantages of each in terms of costs, efficiency, service,
etc. A range of feasible options was examined with respect to
their future viability, including: modifying shared services agreements,
creating an Operating Committee, consolidation under a new entity
and asset transfer options.
Munhall
Sanitary Sewer Municipal Authority
Munhall Sanitary Sewer Municipal Authority, Whitaker, Homestead
and West Homestead joined forces to examine all of the aspects
required to effect a successful merger of various sewer services
by evaluating current collection systems to identify strengths
and deficiencies; and determine legal and financial concerns associated
with these steps. The group will report on the alternatives evaluated.
The existing Munhall Sanitary Sewer Municipal Authority was evaluated
as the possible sewer consolidation entity for one or more of
the other entities.
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