COMMUNITY INFO
SANITARY SEWER
The Township of Shaler ’ s sanitary sewer fund is an enterprise fund maintained by Shaler Township which accounts for revenues and expenditures related to the operation and maintenance of the Shaler Township sanitary sewer conveyance system . Treatment of sanitary sewer in Shaler Township is handled by the Allegheny County Sanitary Authority ( ALCOSAN ). There are two sanitary sewer service areas in the Township . These service areas are responsible for the transmission of sanitary waste to ALCOSAN for treatment . The Girty ’ s Run Joint Sewer Authority ( GRJSA ) is comprised of an area of Ross Township , Millvale Borough and a portion of Shaler Township . GRJSA owns its ’ own pump stations and main lines and assesses a user fee that is universal throughout all member municipalities . The remaining portion of Shaler Township ’ s wastewater flow “ Shaler System ” is conveyed to ALCOSAN facilities for treatment . The Shaler System is maintained 100 % by Shaler Township . Rates are set for the Shaler System by the Board of Commissioners of the Township and is universal to all residents that are in the Shaler System .
All charges for wastewater ( treatment and conveyance ) are billed by the Hampton Shaler Water Authority and remitted to the Township from HSWA . The Township then pays a direct bill to ALCOSAN and GRJSA . The charges collected for the Shaler system are retained by Shaler Township to pay for the maintenance and repairs to the Shaler conveyance system .
Revenues for ALCOSAN treatment and the GRJSA conveyance are pass through items and their rates are not controlled by the Township of Shaler . Those agencies have their own independent budgets for revenues and expenditures and their governing boards adopt the rate structures and notify the Township so that the bills accurately reflect the charges .
Shaler Township is charged with the responsibility of the conveyance of wastewater to ALCOSAN for treatment . This responsibility is divided into two categories . The first is to develop an operations and maintenance plan ( O & M Plan ). The plan is generated by the Township , filed and accepted by the Allegheny County Health Department and outlines the Township ’ s responsibilities for the operation and maintenance of the sanitary system . The plan sets a timeline for an ongoing evaluation of the system by closed circuit television ( CCTV ) to identify any required upgrades and repairs . It also defines the requirements for sanitary sewer overflows , which in periods of heavy rainfall , discharge untreated sewerage into streams . The upgrades and repairs needed are point repairs ( trenchless repairs ), pipelining and eliminating roots from the system .
The second responsibility of the Township is to meet requirements set forth in the consent order as agreed to by the Township , Allegheny County Health Department , PA DEP and the EPA . Due to budget constraints in the sanitary sewer fund , the responsibilities outlined in the O & M plan were not met by the Township in previous years . As a result of this non-compliance , the Township revised and submitted an updated O & M plan to Allegheny County Health Department in late 2023 . The revised O & M plan requires the Township to CCTV 1 / 10th of the Shaler conveyance system every year . This commitment will result in the entire Shaler conveyance system being televised over a 10-year cycle . The data from the CCTV will identify the required repairs needed for pipe lining , point repairs and root control . Once the defects are identified , the Township will be required to make the repairs in accordance with the O & M plan and the Consent Decree . There are engineering costs , as well as construction costs , associated with all these necessary repairs .
ALCOSAN is also placing requirements on all communities that utilize their facilities for sewerage treatment . The Township is required to remove 10 % of the total sanitary sewer flow sent to ALCOSAN . The main sanitary sewer trunk lines are monitored to record flow levels . During periods of heavy rain , these monitors spike as a result of inflow and infiltration throughout the sanitary sewer system . To achieve this task , the Township will need an estimated $ 4 million to line sanitary sewer lines . This lining will reduce inflow and infiltration from ground water sources and thus reduce total sanitary sewer flow . This $ 4 million expense is in addition to the capital work needed for the required repairs in the system that the CCTV data identifies . These required capital expenditures cannot be supported by the current rate structure and the Township will be considering a rate increase , in addition to a PENNVEST Loan to fund these projects . The debt service payment for the PENNVEST Loan will be included in any rate increase for the 2025 calendar year .
COMMUNITY INFO
MESSAGE FROM REPRESENTATIVE LINDSAY POWELL
Happy October everyone ! As you know , my office hosts a Veteran Service Officer ( VSO ) from the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U . S . ( VFW ) on the 2nd Monday of each month . We now offer three days each month to meet with the VSO so we can make sure you get the assistance you deserve ! Our remaining dates for this year are :
• November 18 , 19 , and 20 from 10:00 am – 2:00 pm
• December 16 , 17 , and 18 from 10:00 am – 2:00 pm If you are a veteran or know a veteran who would like help in accessing their benefits , please call my office at ( 412 ) 781-2750 to schedule an appointment .
My district office is located at 5154 Butler Street , Pittsburgh , PA 15201 . We are open and ready to serve you , Monday through Friday from 9 am to 4:30 pm and by appointment in the evenings on Wednesdays . We also have office hours at our Shaler office at the Shaler Municipal Building located at 300 Wetzel Rd ., 2nd floor , Glenshaw , PA 15116 . We will be there every Thursday from 9 am to 4 pm , or any weekday by appointment .
Any state related issue , or assistance that you may need , please give my office a call . Even if we cannot directly help , we will do our best to put you in contact with someone who can . Call : 412-781- 2750 or Email : RepPowell @ pahouse . net or stop by our office during the hours listed above .
MESSAGE FROM SENATOR LINDSEY WILLIAMS
Senator Lindsey Williams ’ office is here to help ! We can assist with :
• Free notary services for most documents
• Unreadable license plate replacement
• Unclaimed property searches
• Property tax and rent rebates
• Pittsburgh Regional Transit Senior ConnectCards
• Disability placards
• And more !
Call us at 412-364-0469 with questions or stop by our office at 5000 McKnight Road , Suite 405 .
We ’ re hosting Veterans Scam Jam – educating Veterans about scams directed specifically at them – on November 14 from 11:00 am – 1:00 pm at Allegheny County Marine Corps League , 838 Pittsburgh Street , Springdale .
Keep up to date by subscribing to Senator Williams ’ e-newsletter at SenatorLindseyWilliams . com / subscribe .
haler
TOWNSHIP OF SHALER NEWS
SHALER AREA ❘ WINTER 2024 11