s Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System, or MS4, regulations continue to roll out statewide, local officials are working out the projected costs of fully conforming to the federal mandate.

The mandate calls for certain municipalities to make changes to their sewer systems, storm water management and related matters. In order to apply for the latest MS4 permit, those entities also must come up with a Chesapeake Bay Pollutant Reduction Plan, which calls for the reduction of sediment, phosphorus and nitrates.

The county Water and Sewer Authority plans to lead South Williamsport and DuBoistown boroughs through the implementation of the reduction plan, while the Williamsport Water Authority will take the lead for Williamsport, Montoursville, Penn College and Fairfield, Hepburn, Loyalsock, Lycoming and Old Lycoming townships, which still have to draft their plans.

John Bickhart, engineering services manager for the county authority, said Joshua Billings, of county planning, put together a cost estimate chart detailing the projected price tag for each of the entities to meet reduction plan requirements in the next five years.

The chart is “intended to summarize all of the costs relatable, either directly or indirectly, publicly or privately … for achieving compliance with the ‘Total Maximum Daily Loads’ for nitrogen, phosphorus and sediments reaching the Chesapeake Bay,” he said.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency’s website, “A Total Maximum Daily Load is a ‘pollution diet’ that identifies the maximum amount of a pollutant a waterway can receive and still meet applicable water quality standards.”

For example, DuBoistown must remove nearly 24,000 pounds of sediment to be in compliance with the plan, which could cost around $475,000 over the five-year permit cycle, or about $892 per household.

South Williamsport is expected to remove 105,000 pounds of sediment at a cost of $721,050 over the cycle.

“This is the single largest unfunded mandate I’ve ever seen,” Bickhart said. “I don’t know how the government can, in good conscience, pick out a group of municipalities, call them urban and make them fund this.”

The pricing chart is only a “first blush” at estimating the expense of meeting these federal regulations, said Charles Hauser, city authority director of engineering, but it’s clear the five-year plan will cost the county a pretty penny — the five-year projection totals about $45.45 million.

“That’s the most recent data that we have,” Hauser said.

He said the pricing for South Williamsport and DuBoistown are likely more accurate than that of the other entities because their reduction plans are complete.

“We’re far enough along to make the estimates, and it scares the bejesus out of everyone,” Bickhart said.

Bickhart said legislators such as Sen. Gene Yaw, R-Loyalsock Township, and Rep. Garth Everett, R-Muncy, have expressed willingness to be more flexible with regulations and hope to reduce costs. The state Department of Environmental Protection also offers funding opportunities.

“We want to be prepared to help wherever we can,” Bickhart said.