Clean Water Advocacy - Newsroom - NACWA in the News
Policy to cost ratepayers
By Allison M. Heinrichs
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Tuesday, December 20, 2005
A new federal policy on treating wastewater, announced Monday, probably will add another rate increase to water bills in Western Pennsylvania, but officials do not yet know how much.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency yesterday opened its
proposed policy to address sewer overflows -- which send sewage into the rivers
almost every time it rains -- for a 30-day public comment period. The policy
gives wastewater treatment plants options for dealing with overflows, but orders
them to inform the public in advance of the overflows and take measures to
prevent them from happening in the future.
Western Pennsylvania has one of the nation's largest sewer overflow problems,
and the Allegheny County Sewer Authority is negotiating with the EPA to develop
a plan to decrease those overflows. The authority has placed a $3 billion price
tag on the repairs and upgrades needed for the region's aging sewer system to
comply with the federal Clean Water Act.
The new policy probably will add to the cost of those repairs, but until the
policy is finalized and the region's water treatment plants review their
options, it is impossible to say by how much, said Arthur Tamilia, director of
environmental compliance for Alcosan, which processes wastewater for 896,500
people in 82 municipalities and the City of Pittsburgh.
"We can't give a hard dollar figure," Tamilia said. "It's too early in our
process to make that determination."
Alcosan announced in November that it is raising sewer rates 10 percent
beginning Jan. 1. It will be the third rate hike in two years.
The policy, applauded by environmentalists and officials in the water treatment
business, allows limited, preapproved diversions of raw sewage around treatment
facilities when excess water from snow melts or rain overwhelms the system if no
feasible alternative exists, said Benjamin Grumbles, the EPA's assistant
administrator for the Office of Water. The sewage is diluted with the water that
could be treated and sent to rivers and streams.
The public must be notified if a diversion occurs so people can avoid
contaminated water, and wastewater treatment agencies must make plans to avoid
future discharges, Grumbles said.
"This is a triumph of treatment over dilution," he said. "This puts a premium on
stopping leaks and spills, improves treatment and increases public oversight."
The EPA is not providing any money specifically to help municipalities comply
with the new policy, which is expected to take effect shortly after the public
comment period ends Jan. 17. However, there are grants and loans available
through the EPA to help communities comply with the Clean Water Act, Grumbles
said. Last year, $4.9 billion was provided for that purpose.
"Today, local communities bear 90 percent of the cost of wastewater
infrastructure," said Alexandra Dapolito Dunn, general counsel for the National
Association of Clean Water Agencies. "The largest burden does hit ratepayers."
Allison M. Heinrichs can be reached at aheinrichs@tribweb.com or (412) 380-5607.