Nearly $47 million requested from Luzerne County for sewer and water projects

Editor’s note: This story is part of a periodic look at projects on the request list for Luzerne County’s American Rescue Plan funding.

In just one category — water and sewer infrastructure — government and nonprofit requests for Luzerne County’s American Rescue Plan funding total nearly $47 million, according to a review of the pre-applications.

Council has approximately $96.1 million left to earmark from its $112.89 million federal American Rescue allocation.

Plymouth borough’s request stood out for its tone of desperation.

The borough is seeking $2.5 million to repair 400 feet of retaining wall along Coal Creek because an engineering inspection found subsidence that may cause it to fail.

If that happens, traffic won’t be permitted on Coal Street, resulting in a 7-mile detour to the borough’s downtown, the pre-application said.

Wall failure also could damage a 36-inch Pennsylvania American Water Co. water main that crosses the stream, causing service disruption to 40,000 customers in the borough, Plymouth Township, Larksville, Courtdale, Wilkes-Barre, Ashley, Sugar Notch and Nanticoke.

It gets worse. Loss of that water line could cause 5 million gallons of water to drain from a tank at the top of Coal Street within minutes, it said.

Plymouth Borough Councilman Adam Morehart said he does not want to panic the public and make residents worry they are in imminent danger. He does not expect the wall will “fall apart tomorrow” but said it is a “very serious matter” that must be addressed.

“Because of the impact this could have on the entire area, we felt it was an opportunity to get this fixed as quickly as possible,” Morehart said, referring to the request for county funding.

Morehart said the channel was constructed decades ago and has been subjected to wear-and-tear from rocks and other debris flushing down the mountain, causing the walls to start caving in. Coal Creek has a history of flooding, including a serious flood in 2011 that caused millions of dollars in property damage, he said.

The borough has reached out to state and federal officials seeking funding but has not received any commitments to date, he said.

More municipal pleas

The list of requests provides a glimpse into the sheer scale of water and sewage needs throughout the county.

Among those from municipalities, according to pre-applications:

• Penn Lake Park is asking for $3.5 million toward its $7.5 million project to rehabilitate/replace the borough dam, which was deemed unsafe by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.

• Yatesville sought $230,000 to identify the cause of continued flooding in the area of Stout Street, replace deteriorated storm piping and address deterioration on Paige’s Drive.

• Wyoming applied for $750,000 toward a sewer repair and replacement project.

• Jackson Township wants $200,000 to correct heavy water runoff on several roadways.

• Edwardsville is hoping for $341,170 to repair/replace an antiquated sanitary sewer line along Meyers Street that has sags, cracks and infiltration, creating a public health concern.

• Freeland requested up to $2 million toward a $3 million project to complete stormwater maintenance and improvements and related paving on deteriorating borough streets. The borough was unsuccessful in its efforts to obtain gambling-funded Local Share Account awards or state multimodal grants, it said.

“In the absence of these funds, it will be extremely difficult for the borough to make significant improvements to its stormwater system and streets without a significant, long-term tax increase to property owners,” the pre-application said, referring to a county council denial of the allocation.

• Shickshinny needs $250,000 for drainage and roadway improvements, including replacement of a deteriorated stormwater collection system on Chestnut Street.

• Hazleton is seeking $750,000 to install inlets and piping on sections of three streets — James, Peace and Grant — that have no stormwater infrastructure, which leads to significant street flooding during storms.

• Larksville asked for $400,000 toward a $1.1 million project that will replace stormwater piping and infrastructure that is older and no longer performing as needed.

• Sugar Notch requested $650,000 to connect 12 residential properties to the borough sewer system along Broadhead Avenue and the intersection of Oak and Maffett streets.

• West Pittston applied for $10 million toward the design and construction of a $50.5 million levee system along the Susquehanna River, which would protect more than 900 homes and 35 businesses that were flooded in 2011.

• Plains Township sought $2.4 million to construct a regional stormwater basin with piping north of the Cross Valley Expressway to serve the Veteran Affairs Medical Center, a development project planned for the former Valley Crest Nursing Home property and other major sites, the pre-application said.

Water protection

The nonprofit North Branch Land Trust requested $808,577 from the county’s American Rescue funds to acquire a 220-acre conservation easement around the Huntsville Reservoir in Dallas borough and Lehman Township.

This reservoir supplies drinking water to approximately 30,000 people in the following county municipalities, it said: Courtdale, Edwardsville, Forty Fort, Kingston, Larksville, Luzerne, Pringle, Swoyersville, West Wyoming, Wilkes-Barre, Wilkes-Barre Township and the Shavertown and Trucksville sections of Kingston Township.

Conserving these lands will protect riparian watershed areas and key substantial tributaries in an area of “high development pressure” that is already “highly built out,” the pre-application said.

Timing is critical because the current landowner, PA American Water Co., is “enthusiastic for conservation,” it said.

“The land itself is valuable, and future PAWC leadership may be susceptible to pressure for development in this highly desirable area,” it said.

The project would provide a safe public walking area in a wooded area along the water’s edge, providing a connection between the land trust’s Forest Echo Bird Sanctuary and lands of the Pinchot State Forest, it said. A monitoring partnership with the PA Fish and Boat Commission and opening part of these lands for public access would address current trespassing, littering and poaching issues.

The project is consistent with the 2021 Lackawanna-Luzerne Counties Comprehensive Plan and the goals of the Lackawanna-Luzerne Counties Open Space, Greenways and Outdoor Recreation Master Plan, the pre-application said.

If the county awards the funds, PA American Water would provide an $834,048 match, the pre-application said.

Authorities

In Shickshinny, the borough’s Sanitary Sewer Authority is looking for $282,000 to address pressing capital projects that were “left undone” due to a lack of funds, its pre-application said.

The authority must replace deteriorated air piping to treatment tanks and digesters, a roof to prevent leaks at the electrical motor control center and mechanical room doors so there is a second exit available. The project also would rehabilitate a steel tank to preserve it.

As in many other submissions, the authority’s pre-application referred to significant revenue decreases stemming from the borough’s demographics and the impact of COVID-19.

Several other authorities are seeking funding for projects, pre-applications show:

• The Wyoming Valley Sanitary Authority is requesting $10 million toward a $30 million project to complete modernization and capacity upgrades to several critical sewer modules that will benefit the environment, public safety and economic development.

• The Greater Hazleton Joint Sewer Authority applied for $5.5 million to fund a $6 million project that would separate combined sewer systems that contribute to overflow in the area of Locust Street in Hazleton.

The project is critical to advance plans by Bethlehem-based Hazleton Creek Commerce Center Holdings LLC to reclaim and develop a a 400-acre site severely scarred from past surface and deep coal mining and two dumps along Routes 309 and 924 in Hazleton and Hazle Township, it said.

• The Berwick Area Joint Sewer Authority is requesting $150,000 to complete upgrades of pump stations in Salem Township.

• The Dallas Area Municipal Authority is collectively seeking $1.5 million toward projects, including upgrades at the main pump station and the replacement of equalization tank pumps to meet current demand and stop overflow.

• The Municipal Authority of Hazle Township is asking for $2.4 million to replace three underground wastewater pump stations with above-ground ones that will be safer and easier to operate.

• The Freeland Municipal Authority is requesting $227,953 to install a fiber-optic network and other equipment in seven locations to improve the detection of water transport issues and prevent theft and other system intrusions.

Nonprofit requests

Penn State Wilkes-Barre in Lehman Township has requested $50,000 toward $500,000 in improvements to its wastewater treatment facility.

Ecumenical Enterprises Inc. is seeking $1 million to expand public water service along Route 118 as part of a project that also would also allow the Back Mountain EMS, Luzerne County Fairgrounds and St. Paul’s Lutheran Church to connect to the public water system.

Dallas Area Fall Fair Inc., which oversees the county fairgrounds, is seeking $100,000 toward a $175,000 project to complete sewer infrastructure connections from several new bathrooms at the fairgrounds.

The other nonprofit requests in this category, according to the pre-applications:

• F.M. Kirby Center for the Performing Arts in Wilkes-Barre — $137,000 to address water/sewage infrastructure at the Public Square facility.

• Beech Mountain Lakes Association Inc., a nonprofit homeowners’ association in Butler Township — $500,000 to address stormwater runoff and erosion issues, with a $500,000 match to be provided by the association.

• North Lake Improvement Association, Sweet Valley — $65,784 toward $82,230 in treatments to further reduce the nutrient load and improve the water quality of North Lake.

• Beaver Brook Association — $100,000 to complete meter work that will allow the small Beaver Brook Water System to connect with the larger Hazleton City Authority for a more efficient flow of water to residents for drinking and fire protection.

• Lower South Valley Council of Governments — $355,000 to complete a new Act 537 sewer plan for Nanticoke and Newport and Hanover townships recommended by the state due to the increased growth of industry and warehouses in that area.

What’s next?

At the request of some council members, the administration sought the American Rescue pre-applications to ensure no needs were overlooked.

The county received $186.8 million in funding requests as a result — $171.58 million from more than 100 outside entities and $15.26 million from county government departments, county Acting Manager Brian Swetz has said.

Council is currently reviewing the requests and has not publicly discussed how it intends to reach a decision. Eligibility of projects also must be determined.