Kiski Valley sewage customers get reprieve
Sewage customers will be getting a one-year reprieve from the Kiski Valley Water Pollution Control Authority’s move toward revaluation of dwelling units.
The authority said last week that proper calculation of how much sewerage the average household or business produces will be put off until January 2021.
The authority board had hoped to implement the new totals on January 1, but Allegheny Township, one of the authority’s 13 member municipalities, expressed concerns to the board.
Washington Township Supervisors Chairman Richard Gardner told the board a number of residents questioned the 3% increase.
Sewage billing is based on water consumption in most communities using the logic that how much water goes into a household comes back out in the form of sewage. Gardner also asked why Washington and West Leechburg had increases, Parks and Gilpin stayed the same and the other municipalities saw a decrease. He also showed the authority letters dated from October 2017 and February 2018 showing vastly different rates.
“If the (unit) rates are wildly changing, our concern is to make it uniform,” board member Chuck Pascal of Leechburg said. “We shouldn’t be accommodating anybody if there’s an inequity.”
Authority Chairman A.J. Bione of Kiski Township agreed to set up a meeting with Gardner to go over how data and billing is determined.
Frank Luisi of Washington Township, who heads the Finance Committee, offered to meet with all municipalities over the next year to explain billing determination.
The authority serves about 12,500 customers.
Roundabout work
Even though work on the roundabout planned for Route 356 and LeBelle Vire Road in Allegheny Township is more than two years away, the authority is looking to have work done when construction begins.
A new bridge will be built over Pine Run and the authority hopes to replace and increase the size of its pipe in the area from 18 inches wide to 24 inches. Officials said the wider pipes can accommodate new construction in that part of the service area.
George Guido is a Tribune-Review contributing writer.
Remove the ads from your TribLIVE reading experience but still support the journalists who create the content with TribLIVE Ad-Free.