Kiski Township looking for sewage board members to preside over $8 million project

Kiski Township is looking for members for its new sewage authority, which will preside over an $8 million first phase of a sewage project in the township’s Orchard Hill neighborhood.

Since most of the township does not have public sewage, the new project caused the township to recently establish a sewage authority, said Mike Bash, chairman of the township supervisors.

“We want one entity to run the sewage program here,” he said. The sewage authority will oversee the township engineer on the sewage project, Senate Engineering Co. of Harmar, and report back to township supervisors.

“With these big projects with sewage, we needed a separate entity,” Bash said. “We’re pretty excited about the project.”

The first phase is still in the planning process. It will provide sewage to about 520 homes in the Orchard Hill neighborhood, Bash said.

There is no timetable set for when excavation will begin, he said.

For the past two years, Senate Engineering has been working on a study for municipal sewer lines along the Route 56 corridor and the Orchard Hill and Spring Church neighborhoods.

Public officials and candidates for supervisor seats have been calling for a municipal sewage system to attract more development, primarily in the Route 56 corridor.

However, too much development will rile rural residents.

Previously, some elderly homeowners were concerned about tap-in and other fees and expenses.

Bash said the township is not done applying for grants and settling the financing portion of the project.

Calls to Senate Engineers for details were not returned immediately for comment.

Anyone interested in applying to be on the Kiski Township sewage authority board should send a letter of interest with qualifications and references to 1222A Old State Road, Apollo, PA 15613.

There is no deadline yet for the applications, Bash said.