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With a week to go before penalties kick in, approximately 71 percent of commercial property owners have paid their stormwater fees to the Wyoming Valley Sanitary Authority, a new report shows.

In total, the authority issued stormwater bills for 12,465 nonresidential parcels in 32 municipalities that signed up for its regional pollution reduction program, it said.

As of June 21, the owners of 8,836 of these parcels had paid their bills, or 70.9 percent. In comparison, the payment percentage was around 67 at the end of May.

First-quarter commercial bills were due April 29, but the authority extended no-penalty payment until 4 p.m. July 3. The temporary extension, similar to an earlier one for residential bills, was intended to give customers more time to become acclimated with the new fee and billing process, address unpaid balances and request property inspections that may reduce their fee.

Commercial accounts not paid in full by July 3 will incur a 10 percent retroactive penalty, the authority has said. Water service disruptions and liens against properties also are possible, it said.

More than half of the non-residential/commercial properties in the regional plan — 53 percent — are in the highest third tier billing category with at least 7,000 square feet of nonabsorbent impervious area, or IA.

Third tier properties are charged $4.80 per month for the first 6,999 square feet of IA and $1.70 for each 1,000 feet above that measurement.

Another 42 percent are in the second tier with IAs ranging from 500 to 6,999 square feet and a monthly fee of $4.80, the report shows. Only 5 percent are in the first tier containing IA of 100 to 499 square feet, for a monthly fee of $1.

The largest IA is for a 600-acre Pittston Township parcel covering most of the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport. Because most of the parcel is paved and developed, it has an IA of 7.5 million square feet, which equates to a stormwater bill of $153,276 per year. A 40 percent discount applies because the airport is listed under Luzerne County ownership.

Other commercial parcels with the highest IA include those housing most or all of the Lowe’s Distribution Center on CenterPoint Boulevard in the CenterPoint Commerce and Trade Park in Jenkins Township, the Mohegan Sun Pocono casino in Plains Township, the Wyoming Valley Mall in Wilkes-Barre Township and the new Adidas distribution center at the Hanover Ridge Trade Center in Hanover Township, records show.

Authority stormwater division manager Jeff Colella has said numerous commercial property owners are contemplating credit projects and partnerships that both lower their bills and help the entire regional plan group meet federal mandated targets to reduce sediment, phosphorus and nitrogen washing into local waterways, the Susquehanna River and ultimately the Chesapeake Bay.

The Wyoming Valley Sanitary Authority main office in Hanover Township.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/web1_TTL011219WVSA2-2.jpgThe Wyoming Valley Sanitary Authority main office in Hanover Township. File photo

By Jennifer Learn-Andes

jandes@www.timesleader.com

Reach Jennifer Learn-Andes at 570-991-6388 or on Twitter @TLJenLearnAndes.