Major work is underway at the Tamaqua wastewater treatment plant, according to Jay Stidham, the borough’s director of public works.

“I wanted to give council an update on where your sewer plant is at,” Stidham said during Tuesday’s council meeting. “I figured nobody has heard about it for a while.”

Stidham said the primary and secondary clarifiers were gutted and taken out of service.

“They’re waiting on parts for them,” he said.

Crews also excavated a hole for the new head works building. Foundation work will follow, he said.

Land was excavated for a new boiler building, too, Stidham noted.

“That has the modified (stone) in and is waiting on the concrete contractors to come and start the walls,” he said.

Stidham said that procurement of materials is taking some time because of the Build America Buy America Act, which requires that all manufactured products and construction materials used in covered infrastructure projects are produced in the United States.

“But it’s a work in progress,” Stidham said. “It’s moving along.”

The project will prevent sewage overflows from polluting the Little Schuylkill River.

The Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority awarded a $12.2 million grant and a $7.8 million low-interest loan for the project. The borough also backed up an amount up to $17 million in Guaranteed Sewer Revenue Bonds that the Tamaqua Borough Authority will borrow.

Sewer rates for residents were also increased by 11% this year.