The 12,750 residential and commercial customers of the North Huntingdon Township Municipal Authority will not see a rate increase in the upcoming fiscal year beginning May 1, the authority said.
The authority, which serves parts of North Huntingdon, adopted an $11.4 million fiscal year 2027 budget at current sewage rates, said Mike Branthoover, authority general manager. The board also approved an $8.8 million, five-year capital improvements plan.
The authority increased its tap-in fees to $5,765 per equivalent dwelling unit as of July 1, up from the current residential rate of $5,635. Tap fees are calculated in accordance with the Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Act, which allows municipal authorities to recover certain capital costs, retire debt and help finance future capital improvements.
The budget includes a $2.5 million expenditure for the Western Westmoreland Municipal Authority to treat sewage from North Huntingdon authority customers and $175,000 for ALCOSAN — Allegheny County’s sewage treatment authority — to treat sewage from municipal authority customers, Branthoover said.
The municipal authority is almost two years into a three-year, $46 million project to construct a new treatment facility adjacent to the current 3.3 million-gallon-per-day treatment plant along Turner Valley Road. Once the new plant is finished, the current plant will be converted into green space, Branthoover said. That project is being funded through a combination of bond financing and financial assistance from PennVEST.
During the upcoming fiscal year, the authority intends to replace the Larimer Pump Station and plan for the future replacement of the Woodside Pump Station. These projects will be funded through the authority’s capital reserve fund and the Commonwealth Financing Authority.