Lower Towamensing Township’s sewage plan has hit a snag due to a reptile.

More specifically, a bog turtle, as explained to the township’s board of supervisors on Tuesday.

Michael Tirpak and Loren Salsman of Carbon Engineering Inc. discussed the township’s sewer project.

Tirpak told the board the delay in the project has to do with the bog turtle, which in Pennsylvania is classified as “critically imperiled,” and is classified as federally threatened on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Endangered Species List.

“We had to go back and do additional bog turtle searching for their habitat,” Tirpak said. “That has to be renewed every three years.

“One of the issues with it this time was, last time DEP required us to do the bog turtle study 300 feet on either side of the sanitary sewer line. This time, DEP came back and said they wanted us to do 600 feet.

“So, basically, what we did the first time had to be done again, but twice as much. That was the issue; that’s why the costs got run up.”

Salsman explained to the board where the project is at.

“The design of the sewage project is pretty well done,” Salsman said. “We’re getting ready to submit the plans to DEP.”

Salsman said township solicitor James Nanovic wants to set up a public meeting in the near future for residents to come in and sign the easements needed for the sewage plan.

State Rep. Doyle Heffley is also looking to put together a meeting of all participants to try to get the project moving forward.

Several residents have expressed frustration at how slowly the project is moving, and urged officials to do what they can to make the project happen.

One of the biggest problems is that homeowners looking to sell a home often cannot because of the problem with the sewage system.

Township Chairman Brent Green elaborated.

“Typically, they do a hydraulic load test on the septic system, and it fails, and the mortgage company won’t do it (provide a mortgage) unless the homeowner puts in a replacement system,” Green said. “And, who’s going to put in a $30,000 replacement system when you have to hook up to the sewer system in five years.”

A preliminary layout of the system can be found on the drawings included with the plan. A copy of the entire approved updated plan can be reviewed at the township building.

For further information and questions regarding the updated plan, contact the township office at 610-826-2522.

Funding for the project

Weiner Mobile Estates, which includes 19 parcels, was sold on Aug. 27 to GSP Management, Morgantown, for a price of $2,999,000. GSP Management are owners to 35 manufacturing communities.

The company has plans to hook on to the Palmerton sewage and water as soon as possible. It also has plans to expand the community.

In June, Jens Damgaard, bond counsel, spoke to Palmerton borough council to discuss a proposal for several homes and a business to connect to the township’s sewer system.

Damgaard told council at that time the purpose of the discussion was to help Lower Towamensing find money to build its sewer system, and explained the benefit to the township to have customers in the borough.

He said if there was just one municipality involved, the township could only look to borrow $12 million from PENNVEST. However, if there is more than one municipality, it could look to borrow $20 million.

Damgaard said the township would need the borough to adopt an ordinance that would mandate the customers in the borough to connect to the new sewer main.

The process would entail an easement from the borough for the township to construct the line that the township would maintain; a mandatory connection construction ordinance; and making sure the existing agreement between the township and the borough allows for these new connections.

Council President Terry Costenbader said the borough previously agreed to take on the Weiner Trailer Court.

Damgaard said that the township engineer has not presented the proposal to the township’s board of supervisors.

Council plans to wait to hear from the township once they have had an opportunity to review the proposal.

Costenbader noted that in order for this to go through, the borough has to grant the township an easement.

Borough Manager Donna McGarry said the properties would be charged the same rate to hook up to the system as all the other customers.

McGarry said that the township is willing to extend the sewer main to the motorcycle shop so that two businesses and four homes could connect to the main.

By working with the township, it qualifies them as a multimunicipal project.

Hooking up

The township is planning to install a main and connect to the borough’s sewer system for their properties on Red Hill Road, and may be willing to extend the sewer main from their border, along State Road in Palmerton, toward the Delaware Avenue intersection.

The township including this work in its plan would qualify them for a higher loan amount from PENNVEST.

Supervisors announced in 2017 that the Department of Environmental Protection approved the township’s Official Sewage Facilities Plan for a new sewage system.

The sewage system plan will service Aquashicola, Walkton, Little Gap, Red Hill Road and Weiner Mobile Estates. Plans for the sewer system have been in the works for several decades.

According to the plan, the new sewer system will consist of gravity lines, manholes and pump stations and their associated force mains.

A portion serving Aquashicola, Walkton and Little Gap will be treated at the Blue Mountain Ski Area Wastewater Treatment Plant. Another portion of the line serving Red Hill Road and Weiner Mobile Estates will be treated at the Palmerton Borough Wastewater Treatment Plant.

The total cost of the project, including surveying, engineering, land acquisition, inspection, legal and administrative fees and interest, had previously been estimated to be about $12.4 million.

The system will connect to the existing Blue Mountain Ski Area wastewater treatment plant, which will be upgraded to account for the additional sewage flow.