from the street to a residence
In recent years, our community has undergone many changes. From the development of the Ellis Preserve to the widening of our roadways and our first-ever chain hotel, there is no doubt that Newtown Square is becoming the place to stop, shop and stay.
And though sometimes it seems as though these changes happen overnight, they are the result of countless hours, days, months and even years of studying, planning, meeting and budgeting before the work ever begins. And often, improvements to our neighborhoods require multiple agencies and governing authorities to work together, as in the case of our sewer authority.
The Newtown Township Municipal Authority (NTMA) is a five-member board organized to construct or otherwise provide the facilities necessary to furnish sewage disposal in Newtown Township. The Board oversees new sewer projects within the Township and helps to facilitate hooking up to the sewer system for residents. The NTMA also plans for future projects in the Township to update and improve our existing sewer systems.
First established in 1961, the NTMA was formed under the Municipality Authorities Act of 1945. The act allowed the formation of Authorities, separate from the municipal government, to authorize, acquire, construct, finance, improve, maintain and operate projects. Because they are a separate legal entity, they are also able to borrow money, make loans and issue bonds for community improvements and expansions.
before it is decommissioned
On January 24, 1966, the Pennsylvania Sewage Facilities Act (Act 537) was enacted to correct existing sewage disposal problems and prevent future problems through the proper planning, per- mitting and design of sewer systems. To meet this objective, the Act required the identification and documentation of the sewage disposal needs in each municipality as well as proper planning in all types of sewage disposal situations.
Newtown Square resident Mike Sheridan served as NTMA’s Solicitor for over two decades. He explained that back in 2011, the township was beginning to explore the possible future devel- opment of large parcels of land for residential and commercial use. “In addition to needing to provide and accommodate ade- quate sewer services for new development, we also considered what would be necessary to connect the many homes in neigh-
borhoods with on-site septic systems.”
“Aside from the cost of maintaining and replacing an on-site septic system, connecting to the public sewer system is better for the environment,” explained Dave Hochberg, Newtown Square resi- dent and Co-Owner of Delco Storm & Sewer Services. “When a septic system fails, it can leak into the soil on your property and contaminate the groundwater that leads to streams, creeks and rivers.” Dave’s partner, John Ettore added that public sewers are better for the simple fact that the sewage is treated at a plant that follows the mandates set by the PA Department of Environmental Protection and the US Environmental Protection Agency.
filling in the homeowner’s
failed septic system
Maria Kane serves as NTMA’s Chairman. She is an Attorney with McKenna Snyder, LLC, and has served on the municipal authority for over five years. Maria said that after the 537 Plan was amended in 2012 to include the new growth projections, Mike and NTMA members worked to obtain easements from property owners and cooperation from neighboring municipalities to connect new sewer lines with existing ones. “The majority of our wastewater is treated at a facility in Chester, PA,” Maria said. “In order for us to move forward with any type of development in the township, we needed to gain permission and have access to the lines that run through the townships from here to Chester.”
The NTMA’s engineering firm, Herbert E. MacCombie Engineers, worked with land owners and developers to calculate estimates of future wastewater usage, and data was collected for the neighborhoods with failing septic systems. “We moved forward intending to attain the capacity to send one million gallons of wastewater to the treatment facility in Chester,” Mike explained. “It wasn’t without resistance from townships who feared that our needs would overwhelm their lines, but eventually, we were able to get the access and capacity we needed.”
Once the agreements were signed and sealed, work began on engineering plans and funding. Homeowners in neighborhoods such as Echo Valley and Florida Park were informed that public sewer lines would be installed, and residents would be required to “tap in” to the line and pay a one-time fee for doing so. After tapping in, homeowners were allowed to use the company of their choice to run the sewer line from the tap-in point into their home.
At the same time, area businesses with on-site septic systems began tapping in and converting to public sewers. The entire Campus Boulevard business district and those on West Chester Pike heading toward Edgmont made these improvements, and all new housing developments and business complexes were required to hook up to public sewer.
line, a grinder pump is installed
These days, Maria said that the NTMA is working on educating residents about the process, costs and future plans. “We are planning on putting more information on the township website, including a list of frequently asked questions and easy-to-download forms,” she said. Maria also encourages residents who want to learn more to attend their monthly meetings at 7pm on the third Monday of each month. The meetings are held at Newtown Township Municipal Building, 209 Bishop Hollow Rd, Newtown Square and may be viewed through YouTube on the Newtown Township Delaware County channel. For more information, visit their website NewtownTownship.org under the Government tab.
While this feature story provides us with some valuable information about how our Municipal Authority operates, it only scratches the surface of the amount of work that goes into planning and implementing new and ongoing projects. Next month, we will further our discussion to include more details from experts John Ettore and Dave Hochberg of Delco Storm & Sewer Services about the process of installing sewers, decommissioning
septic systems and maintaining sewer lines. We will also look to our NTMA members and engineers to help us better understand how sewer fees are calculated and how these fees are allocated.