South Fayette Township
Municipal Authority
- News and Information -
NOTICE OF CONNECTION CHARGE INCREASE
Effective March 1, 2007, the fee for connection to the South Fayette Municipal Authority sanitary sewer system will be $4,250 throughout the Township. The fee is per dwelling unit and a separate fee is applicable for each home, townhome, apartment, condominium, etc. that connects to the SFMA system. In the event that a connection point (wye) has not been provided by the Authority, a reduction in the amount of $1,200 will be granted for such installation by the developer/property owner.
Non-residential buildings will be charged based upon the number of equivalent dwelling units (EDU’s) for each building. An EDU is defined as 215 gallons per day of water usage. The number of EDU’s will be multiplied times the $4,250 value indicated above. The aforementioned $1,200 deduct will be applied as appropriate.
The modifications to connection charges are as a result of an updated study done by KLH Engineers in compliance with Pennsylvania Legislature ACT 57 of 2003. The Authority Board recently reviewed the study results and passed Resolution No. 149 in this regard. Both the entire study and the resolution are available for review at the Authority office. Also, copies will be posted on the Authority web site at www.authority.south-fayette.pa.us
MUNICIPAL AUTHORITY: LEAKS IN PRIVATE SEWER LINES CAUSING SEWER OVERFLOWS
A large percentage of the water leaking into South Fayette’s sanitary sewer system is coming from the privately owned portions of the system, the Township Municipal Authority has discovered while inspecting sewer lines through dye testing and video inspections.
The sanitary sewers are not designed or intended to handle storm water or ground water from such sources as downspouts, french drains, and area drains.
All communities whose sewers discharge into the ALCOSAN system – including South Fayette – are under a consent order to minimize this type of infiltration.
While the Municipal Authority continues to inspect the public portion of the system and make repairs as defects are identified, it is clear that problems associated with the privately owned portion of the system can not be ignored. Thus, the Authority Board has established a Private Sector Committee to explore options in this regard.
As of June 1, 2007, all property transfers require a video inspection of the lateral sewer. The committee is progressing towards recommending inspection of laterals independent of property sales, and updates to regulations in this regard are expected in 2008.
STORM WATER RUNOFF INFORMATION
Storm Water Runoff can be harmful to our environment, please
click here for additional information and useful Links:
Storm Water Runoff
WET WEATHER SEWER OVERFLOW INFORMATION
South Fayette Municipal Authority and The Overflow Connection has provided the following information;
Wet Weather Effects and Sewage Overflow and What is Sewage Overflow
For more about the wet weather sewer overflow issue and updated progress reports,
visit the following website for additional information: www.overflowconnection.com
ADMINISTRATIVE CONSENT ORDER (ACO) UPDATE
What is an ACO? An ACO is an Administrative Consent Order (sometimes also
called Consent Order and Agreement). It is a legal document issued by a regulatory
agency to correct violations of an environmental law.
Recently, ACOs have been distributed to each of 83 municipalities, including
South Fayette Township Municipal Authority in Allegheny County. The order,
now signed by both the regulatory agency and SFMA, is enforceable in court.
(South Fayette Township also passed a Resolution of support to the Authority
in this matter as required by ACHD.) The ACO usually outlines violations,
requires corrective active and identifies penalties, if applicable.
The consent order received by all communities in the Allegheny County Sanitary
Authority (ALCOSAN) service area requires that municipalities begin complying
with the federal Clean Water Act. Enacted in 1977, the Clean Water Act prohibits
any person or entity from discharging pollutants into waterways.
One of those pollutants is sewage, which has historically been a problem for
the Pittsburgh region. During wet weather (rain or snow melt), raw sewage
overflows into our rivers and streams, spills from manholes in the street
or backs up in homeowners' basements. Much of the problem stems from deterioration
of the area's sewage collection systems. Extra water seeps into pipes, overloads
the system and overflows before it can reach the ALCOSAN treatment plant.
Under this order from the Allegheny County Health Department,
all communities in the ALCOSAN service area including SouthFayette Township
Municipal Authority will need to complete a number of sewer-related projects
by specific deadlines.
ACO requirements include an assessment of the municipal sewer system by mapping
the location of system structures (manholes, etc.) and recording their condition,
cleaning out sewer lines and then televising them using robotic technology
to identify any problem areas. Any portion of the sewer system must be repaired
if it is in danger of collapsing, severely restricts wastewater flow or has
a large volume of water getting into the system.
After this comprehensive assessment, flow monitoring also will be required.
Meters will be inserted into designated portions of the sewer system to measure
how much wastewater (and stormwater in some cases) the system is carrying
during both dry and wet weather. This information will help communities develop
a long-term control plan that will help to prevent these problems in the future.
In addition, the ACO requires municipalities to pass an ordinance that prohibits
stormwater connections to a separate sanitary sewer system (a system designed
to carry only wastewater). South Fayette Township already has an ordinance
with these prohibitions in place. Any improper stormwater connections from
homes to the sanitary system, such as rainspouts, driveway drains or foundation
drains must be disconnected. These connections will need to be tested at the
time of a property sale. Also, the ACO requires that the Authority test those
homes that have not been recently sold for illegal stormwater connections
to the sanitary sewer system.
If South Fayette Township Municipal Authority fails to comply with the order
requirements or meet the deadlines, it could face a fine of up to $500 a day
per violation or uncompleted project. Accurately locating and mapping the
Authority's manholes, approximately 4,000 in number, is one of the first requirements
of the order. 3 Rivers Wet Weather, a non-profit environmental organization
dedicated to the sewage overflow issue, is coordinating and funding this $2
million ALCOSAN service area project at no cost to the communities. By participating
in this coordinated project, ALCOSAN communities will realize a total $9 million
savings.
Additionally, SFMA field personnel are performing other required
tasks, including the inspection of manholes throughout the system and
pipe televising work. In performing these tasks, a number of manholes have
been identified as being buried as a result of landscaping activities. Covering
manholes, thus making them inaccessible, is prohibited by SFMA regulations
and by Township ordinances. These ordinances provide for significant monetary
penalties that may be assessed to property owners that have covered manholes.
SFMA personnel and their contractors must have ready access to manholes not
only for performing the required assessment activities, but to provide prompt
response to any emergency blockages that may occur. Over the next several years,
manholes will need to be opened on more than one occasion to complete the
mandatory work.