State money not enough for Sharon plant upgrades

SHARON, Pa. — The city was approved for a $15 million state loan for upgrades to the waste treatment plant, but it’s not enough to pay for the entire project.

Mayor Bob Lucas said he plans to discuss financing options with city council to find a way to raise the additional $15 million needed for the federally mandated project.

The city needs to increase the waste treatment plant’s capacity by 4.16 million gallons per day and allow the plant to treat higher volumes.

In addition, the city must install an additional interceptor at the upstream chamber of the siphon station, which will eliminate a sanitary sewer overflow problem.

The city had requested the entire $30 million from the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority board, a board that receives state and federal funds to provide assistance to substandard and deteriorated water and sewer systems in the state.

Lucas said this region of the state was only allocated a total of $68 million from the authority this year.

“We got a bit less than 25 percent. I don’t think it had to do with the need. It had to do with the amount of money available to the region,” he said.

The city is under mandate to make the waste treatment plant upgrades by 2009, he said.

They plan to start work by the end of June, but it is unclear if all of the financing must be in place when work begins, the mayor said.

Lucas said the city’s bond rating used in borrowing money long term is not good and the last time the city took out a loan through bonds the county had to co-sign.

“We have to explore all avenues,” he said.