The Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County said it will purchase West Newton’s sewage treatment plant and its system of collection pipes for $1.2 million.
The authority also will take on $1.6 million in debt associated with the system.
The authority board Thursday approved the purchase two days after West Newton Borough Council unanimously agreed to sell the plant that sits along the Youghiogheny River.
The deal, which has been in the works for close to a year, is expected to close on July 1, said Michael Kukura, municipal authority resident manager. West Newton officials had contacted the municipal authority about its interest in buying the town’s sewage treatment system, Kukura said.
The sewage rate of $50 a month will remain the same for at least two years for the 1,558 customers of the system serving customers in the borough and the Rostraver village of Collinsburg, Kukura said.
“It could remain a flat rate after two years,” Kukura said.
Most borough customers receive their water from municipal authority and the combined billing is expected to begin shortly after the deal is finalized.
The authority said it expects the additional customers will generate revenue, beyond the purchase price and debt payments. The rates West Newton has charged customers are sufficient to pay down the debt over the life of the loans, Kukura said.
Two of the West Newton sewage treatment plant employees will be employed by the authority, Kukura said.
West Newton has faced the challenge of maintaining an aging piece of infrastructure while continuing to provide reliable and affordable wastewater service to the residents, said Jason Cooper, borough council president.
Over the years, council has evaluated several long-term options for the future of the sewage treatment plant and the wastewater system and determined that transferring ownership to the authority offers the best long-term solution for West Newton residents, Cooper said.
“The transfer places the system within a larger publicly-owned authority with the financial resources, technical expertise, and operational capacity to maintain and invest in the infrastructure over the long term,” Cooper said.
Council’s primary goal throughout this process has been to ensure continued high-quality service for residents, while addressing the significant challenges associated with maintaining an aging wastewater treatment facility, Cooper said.
The authority will meet with West Newton’s sewage treatment system engineers to determine if any improvements are necessary, Kukura said. The authority has determined that it will replace a chlorination disinfection system and with an ultraviolet disinfection system that would eliminate the need to remove the chlorine from the wastewater before it is discharged into the river, Kukura said.
The authority already operates 11 wastewater treatment plants and their associated sewer systems in its service area. Three of those plants have a sewer system classified as a combined sewer system, with stormwater and sewage flowing in the same pipes — Jeannette, Mt. Pleasant Borough and Scottdale. Like many older communities, West Newton has a combined sewage and stormwater system, Kukura said.
Kukura said following the meeting that the authority is not seeking to buy other wastewater systems at this time.