Lehighton is requesting proposals for storm sewer rehabilitation.

Sealed bids must be submitted online through the PennBid electronic procurement program before 11 a.m. May 28. All documents and solicitation details are available at no cost through PennBid.

The Lehighton Inflow and infiltration Abatement Project consists of the cleaning, televising, and cured in place pipelining of approximately six miles of sanitary sewers in the borough.

Work will also include the inspection and rehabilitation of manholes.

For more information, email vanessa.nedrick@rve.com with any questions.

The borough received an additional $500,000 to address its inflow and infiltration matters concerning its sanitary sewer system.

Borough manager Dane DeWire said the $500,000 is directly through state Sen. Bob Casey’s fiscal year 2024 community project funding.

DeWire said that will give the borough $1.6 million in funding to rehabilitate the system.

Borough engineer Vanessa Nedrick said that engineering for the project is covered by the grant.

DeWire said the plan is to attack the problem from all sides.

In February, Councilman Steven Hawk said that he, along with Councilwoman Autumn Abelovsky and DeWire met with the Central Carbon Municipal Authority concerning the borough’s Inflow & Infiltration issues.

Hawk said that a lot of the infiltration coming into the plant is from the borough, which is a major concern.

Nedrick said at that time there’s a lot of terra-cotta in the system, and two areas in the borough, zone 3 and zone 6, which provide 80% of the I & I the borough has.

She said at that time that if the borough were to take care of those two zones, it would be taking care of 80% of it.

DeWire said at that time addressing the situation could potentially save the borough thousands of dollars per month if it addresses the worst parts of the system.

Nedrick announced at January’s borough council meeting that the borough received the H20 Pennsylvania Water Supply, Sanitary Sewer and Stormwater Projects grant for $611,245.

Nedrick told council the grant can be used for inflow and infiltration abatement throughout the borough.

She believes the borough has three years to spend the grant.

Nedrick said in March 2023 two drainage areas in the older portions downtown have about 80% flow infiltration. She said there was a 50% grant match.

The match portion was from the borough’s ARPA funds.

Former Manager Steve Travers said the study broke it up into seven drainage areas. A grant and ARPA funds, it would take care of two drainage areas.

He said the grant would save the borough money so it could add a smaller project, possibly a third drainage area.