News

August 26, 2008

Butler Twp. growth gets green light

Expanding sewage treatment plant allows housing projects to proceed.

By Steve Mocarsky smocarsky@timesleader.com
Staff Writer
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BUTLER TWP. – Officials on Monday broke ground for a project that will allow a major housing development in the township to move forward.

Supervisor Chairman Ransom Young said the $17.5 million St. Johns Sewage Treatment Plant expansion is a necessity for township growth to continue.

“Last year, we were the fastest-growing township in Luzerne County. So we need the (additional) capacity” at the plant, Young said.

Township Manager Steve Hahn said the plant can process about 1 million gallons of wastewater per day and has the capacity to handle only about 200 more homes.

“The capacity will double to 2.2 million (gallons per day), which will accommodate about 4,500 to 5,000 new connections to the plant. It’s a plan for the future that will accommodate development and any other businesses that might move into the area,” Hahn said.

Hahn said developers asked that the township provide sewage treatment for about 4,000 more homes during the next few years.

The Sand Springs development anticipates needing 1,000 more connections; Crystal Penn Ridge and Woodmont will need about 1,200 each; some smaller developments have plans for 60 to 70 homes each, Hahn said.

Luzerne County Commissioner Chairwoman Maryanne Petrilla, who preceded Hahn as township manager, said plant expansion was “one of the key projects going on” when she became manager 15 years ago.

“After many years, several engineers and copious changes in regulatory requirements, they are finally moving forward. … I am proud to have been part of the planning for so many years,” Petrilla said.

Petrilla and other officials, project engineers and managers sank gold-painted shovels into a mound of dirt before digging plastic forks into a cake decorated with toy construction equipment to celebrate the long-awaited project.

Attempts to arrange funding and new federal requirements to lower nutrient output into the Chesapeake Bay contributed to project delays.

Supervisors initially sought money from developers in exchange for a guaranteed number of hookups at their developments, but developers weren’t receptive and threatened litigation.

The expansion project, which is scheduled for completion by November or December 2009, includes the installation of state-of-the-art filtration equipment that will meet or exceed federal requirements, Hahn said.

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