Walker and West Penn Township are one step closer to submitting their revised sewage facilities plan to the state Department of Environmental Protection.

Officials from both townships conducted a joint meeting Monday to review the proposed Act 537 Plan, and to discuss any additional comments before submission to DEP.“Everything after the submission is based on DEP’s approval of the plan,” said Charles Myers, engineer from Rettew Associates Inc.Bill Varano, co-chairman of the West Penn/Walker Township Joint Sewer Committee, said his concern is ensuring that the plan is administratively complete.Myers assured Varano that they’re following the checklist.West Penn Supervisor Tony Prudenti said he had a problem with some of the wording, such as where the words ‘if needed’ are to be used.“I’d like to have ‘if needed’ put out front,” Prudenti said. “I would just feel a lot more comfortable.”Prudenti said his major concern is the cost associated with the project.“There is no cheap way,” he said. “It’s the least expensive way.”Bill Brior, sewage enforcement officer, said his suggestion was to submit the plan.Myers said the next step is for both townships to adopt their ordinances.Walker Township supervisors next meet on Feb. 2, while West Penn supervisors next meet on Feb. 6.The preferred plan is an on-lot disposal system, where the 30 residences would either repair or replace their current system.Myers said Monday the plan is preferred because there are no big infrastructure costs.Walker Township engineer Dave Horst previously said there were 30 units, 24 in West Penn, and six in Walker, that the plan identifies as potentially needing a community on-lot sewage disposal.Horst said of the units in West Penn, 12 are in South Tamaqua, six in Andreas, four in Clamtown, and two in Snyders; while the remaining six are in Reynolds in Walker.DEP wants a solution presented in the plan for every user. If there are any users that cannot do on-lot systems, they have to have access to a community system.Work on the plan has been ongoing since 2003, when Ludgate Engineering Firm developed a community sewage plan with a $17 million price tag.On Oct. 18, 2013, DEP received the updated plan prepared by Rettew Associates Inc., and incorporated the Ludgate Engineering Corporation’s March 5, 2007, submission.The plan proposed a sewage management program for each municipality, and corrective cluster or small community on-lot sewage disposal facilities, but DEP kicked it back as incomplete.Rettew revised the plan and resubmitted it in November 2014.Former West Penn Township solicitor Gretchen Stearns said after a time lapse she contacted DEP and was told that the plan had been misplaced.Rettew resubmitted the plan.