Bowmanstown has agreed to borrow $100,000 to pay off the reed bed expansion at its wastewater treatment plant.

On a 5-1 vote, borough council on Tuesday agreed to borrow the money from First Northern Bank through a 10-year loan. Council President William Ravert was opposed. Councilwoman Candace Rodrigues was absent.

The action taken by council was due to the shortage for money to pay off the project.

Councilman Darren Thomas said the loan would add about $1,000 to the borough’s monthly payment, upping the amount to $8,100 per month.

Thomas said disposable rags and wipes are again at the forefront of the issue.

“Mounds and mounds of rags again,” Thomas said. “Obviously (the public) isn’t listening; it’s costing us thousands and thousands of dollars.”

In November, council on a 3-2 vote adopted a resolution to raise the monthly sewer rate by $5 from $53 to $58, effective Jan. 1, 2021.

At that time, Thomas noted the last time the sewer rate was increased was back in 2007.

Thomas previously said the reason for the increase is because of added increases in the cost of living, along with the “current and (unrelenting) pursuit of trying to keep the disposable rags issue under control even though the public is not heeding the warnings.”

Ravert said at that time that during a visit he made to the borough’s sewer plant, he observed the screw on top of the tanks was full of nondisposables.

At that time, Ravert said that while he hates to see an increase of any kind, residents need to do a better job of following restrictions.

In November 2019, council approved a $1.5 million loan with First Northern Bank and Trust that involved the refinancing of a prior loan and an additional amount to cover the reed bed expansion at the wastewater treatment plant.