Rush Township residents who are late on their sewer payments face having water to their properties shut off.

While it’s not a new practice, township supervisors motioned to amend Thursday’s monthly meeting agenda to add a motion to “proceed with water shut off for overdue sewer bills.”

The vote on the shutoffs passed unanimously.

After the meeting, board Chairman George Gerhard said those delinquent on their bills have had their water services cut in the past.

Now, however, he said, those in arrears will not receive certified letters alerting them of the impending shut off.

“We just want to make sure that people are aware of it,” Gerhard said. “In the past, we were sending certified letters. We’re not going to send the certified letters anymore. Why spend the money? Because if someone isn’t paying, they’re not going to pay it anyway.”

The water shutoffs are for those served by the Hometown and Hauto sewer systems, and who are on public water.

Rush residents served by the Northeast Schuylkill Joint Municipal Authority and who are late on their bills won’t have water discontinued since they are not on public water.

In other business:

• Tamaqua Area School District Superintendent Ray Kinder thanked supervisors, township police, road crew and Hometown Fire Company fire personnel and fire police for their help over the years. Kinder will retire on Tuesday and has been visiting municipal boards in the district to thank them for their support.

• Hired DBU Inc. as the township’s payroll service provider at a monthly rate of $270. The company will replace ADP.

• Paid MetroTeck Electrical Services, Easton, $41,130 for work completed as part of the Ryan Memorial Park lighting project.

• Learned from solicitor Chris Reidlinger that a public hearing on revisions to a regional zoning ordinance compiled by the Eastern Schuylkill Regional Planning commission will be held at 4 p.m. Oct. 6 at Tamaqua Borough Hall.

The ordinance deals with data centers, warehouses and short-term rentals. Following the hearing, each of the four commission member municipalities — the borough of Tamaqua and the townships of Rush, Schuylkill and Walker — will hold special meetings vote on the ordinance. Those meetings will also be held at Tamaqua Borough Hall at 7 p.m. Oct. 6.