The Walker Township board of supervisors signed and accepted an Act 537 task activity report that accesses the new scope of work that needs to be done in order to outline a plan for implementing the sewer project.

Act 537, part of the Clean Streams Law created to regulate sewage and other pollutants that go into the waters of Pennsylvania, addresses failing waste systems in West Penn and Walker townships, which are being mandated by the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to be fixed.Last month, the West Penn Township engineer, Ronald B. Madison, PE, presented an updated assessment of the plan to the board. He said after a meeting with DEP, which took place in January, its concerns about the project's cost reflected the same concerns coming from board members. Before the project goes underway, an estimated $250,000 will be spent, according to Madison, which is then compounded onto the $270,000 that Supervisor Wagner said the township has been spent so far. The total cost of the project as the plan stands is $11 million, which would be shared by the townships.Rettew engineering has been directed to redo the needs assessment to find the new scope of work, which is what the board approved at last night's meeting. This part of the project is being redone in hopes that the true sewage needs may not be as major as what was indicated in the 2003 surveys, and that $11 million cost can be reduced. Township Engineer Dave Horst said at this point the board has little choice unless it found away to pull the township out of the plan entirely.Next board of supervisors meeting is on Thursday, Apr. 5 at 7:30 p.m. in the municipal building.