Tyrone Borough played host to the South Central Counties Borough Association earlier this week and area officials were greeted with details on a new program to improve water quality in the Chesapeake Bay that could cost municipalities plenty.
Officials were updated on an agreement entered into by several states to work toward improving the body of water’s quality by the year 2010 through the reduction of nitrogen, phosphorus and sediment.
Such particles eventually wind up in the Chesapeake Bay thanks mainly to rainwater runoff and groundwater. Septic systems (estimated at 280,000 in affected states) that aren’t functioning properly also need to be addressed.
Tyrone Borough engineer Ray Myers of CET Engineering, Huntingdon, gave Thursday’s presentation. Previously, Myers had updated Tyrone on the issue during the last several months. He also attended a variety of forums to learn more about the issue.
The main impact to municipalities will be the cost of maintaining, upgrading and building sewage treatment facilities. However, the program will also affect agricultural and forested lands.
Myers emphasized it was his opinion the program will be implemented and boroughs will be required to make upgrades. He noted the same is not the case for agriculture and forested lands. He said the way the program is structured, incentives would be offered to get farmers to implement procedures to help improve the Chesapeake Bay conditions.
He pointed out that wastewater treatment facilities are creating a small fraction of the problem yet municipalities have no choice in implementation. The vast majority of the sources for nitrogen and phosphorus come from entities that are being asked to voluntarily remedy the problem.
Governor Ed Rendell has pledged $8.2 billion dollars toward the effort. However, Myers said there is concern the 2010 goal won’t be met because so much of the problem is caused by those that have only been asked to reduce the nitrogen, phosphorus and sediment that eventually finds it way into the bay.
Myers said municipal facilities that haven’t been upgraded since 1990 will not meet the new requirements. Newer facilities may only be able to deal with some of the requirements without making costly upgrades. Municipalities will also be faced not only with installing and maintaining technology but also staying within the new levels. When permits are issued and levels are set, a wastewater plant will be required to stay within the new requirements for the life of the plant. Myers explained a plant increasing capacity would still be required to meet the reduction for nitrogen and phosphorus. In the past, a plant could get new permits that would allow for an increase in certain discharges.
Myers said municipalities could expect costs of $9 to 17 million a year under the new requirements. He said the costs would translate into residents seeing an increase of $10 to $20 a month in their sewage bills.
Tyrone Mayor Patricia Stoner said the new requirements would cost the borough $14 to $16 million dollars for the initial upgrades. Interim Borough Manager Sharon Dannaway said there is no estimate yet on what Tyrone’s costs would be on a yearly basis to maintain the new requirements.
In Pennsylvania, the Department of Environmental Protection is the agency in charge of issuing permits to wastewater treatment facilities. Myers said he’s learned if the DEP did not enforce the new requirements, the federal Environmental Protection Agency would step in to make sure the changes are implemented.
