SEWAGE

SEWAGE
Lawrence County
The Southwestern Pennsylvania Water and Sewage Infrastructure Project formed in January 2000 to address sewage and clean-water issues on a regional basis. Preliminary findings from a yearlong study show that communities in the 10-county region are facing many of the same problems. A sampling of Lawrence County's issues:
New Castle: Signed a consent order agreement with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection in April 1996 to correct overflows. The waste treatment plant was recently upgraded, but a portion of the city and its North Hill section are still on the DEP overload list, which limits the number of new users.Ellwood City: Signed a consent agreement in August 2000 to correct overflow problems and sent a plan to the DEP. The borough and townships serviced by the Ellwood City sewage system are limited to a total of 60 new users a year until treatment plant upgrades are made. The communities serviced by Ellwood City are Wayne Township in Lawrence County and Franklin and North Sewickley townships in Beaver County.Ellport: Was informed in November 2000 of sewage system overloads and was told a corrective plan was needed. No new sewage users are permitted until a plan is submitted to the DEP. The communities affected include Ellport Borough, Perry and Wayne townships in Lawrence County and Franklin Township, Beaver County.Neshannock Township: More than 30 percent of the private septic systems in the township are faulty.Mahoning Township: All of the septic systems in the Edinburg Village neighborhood are faulty.North Beaver Township: 84 percent of the septic systems in the Sunnyside area are faulty.
Source: Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and Southwestern Pennsylvania Water and Sewage Infrastructure Project study