Coaldale Borough Council continues to discuss chipping in $350,000 toward a $2.5 million matching grant secured by the Coaldale-Lansford-Summit Hill Sewer Authority.

Authority solicitor Eric Filer stopped by council’s Tuesday meeting to explain the grant and project.

“Currently, our system overflows every time we have a significant amount of rain,” Filer said. “At the plant itself we have 8 million additional gallons coming through (during rain events).”

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection typically only allows four overflows each year.

Filer said the authority is working with the DEP to lessen the restrictions or be granted additional time to remedy the problem.

He noted that the authority could likely use the $2.5 million grant to identify and correct stormwater infiltration into the sewer system. But to receive the grant, the three boroughs and the authority would need to match it with $350,000 each.

The funding, which must be used by September, was intended for a vortex separator to remove solids at the plant, but can likely be changed to allow for camera inspections of pipes.

“The bottom line is that we have this $2.5 million grant that we can possibly use to update our system,” Filer said. “Our engineers have been talking with the grant administrators. They believe that they can get approval to change it from this vortex separator to cleaning, cameraing and then lining the pipes.”

Filer said is work that needs to be done “sooner or later” under the municipalities’ Act 537 plans, or plans drawn up to manage current and future sewage disposal

“What we are proposing is that each borough put in at least $350,000 and we will guarantee you will get $350,000 worth of cleaning and pipe lining,” Filer said.

Summit Hill agreed last month to commit its share. Lansford is seeking more information.

After some discussion about how the borough would come up with the funding, borough solicitor Robert Yurchak asked whether the sewer authority would consider a bond issue, or a type of loan that could be paid back by the municipalities over time.

“I think we are all in agreement that it needs to be done. It’s just a matter of how to pay for it,” Councilman Mike Radocha said.

Filer said the authority could look into a bond issue.

“We’re open to any suggestions,” he said.