Allegheny Valley sewage authority upgrading treatment plant ahead of 2023 deadline

The Allegheny Valley Joint Sanitary Authority’s sewage treatment plant expansion is moving forward through the planning phase.

John Mowery of KLH Engineers said Wednesday the mechanical design is all but complete, to be followed by the electrical design and structural design.

The authority plans to expand its sewage treatment capacity from the current 5.5 million gallons daily to 8 million gallons daily by 2023.

The cost of the project at its treatment plant in Harmar is expected to be between $50 million and $60 million.

The authority plans to pay for the expansion through a bond issue.

The federal Environmental Protection Agency is mandating the treatment plant upgrade. It’s part of a nationwide effort to prevent raw sewage overflows and inadequately controlled stormwater that discharges into rivers, streams, lakes and other waterways.

In this case, treated sewage is discharged directly into the Allegheny River right next to the plant.

Officials said the major holdup is the failure of the Norfolk Southern railroad to reply to authority inquiries about using the railroad’s right of way, which is 50 feet on each side of the tracks. Norfolk Southern did not return multiple messages seeking comment.

Further delay could cause the authority to ask the state Department of Environmental Protection to postpone the deadlines for increasing treatment.

KLH personnel will meet with authority representatives to review about 400 pages in engineer drawings before obtaining final permits and seeking contract bids.

The authority hopes to start construction some time in 2021 in order to meet new guidelines set for 2023.