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Stormwater takeover could mean added fees

The proposed transfer of city stormwater management systems to the Williamsport Municipal Water and Sanitary Authority was the subject of a closed-door session held Wednesday afternoon.

“It was on property acquisition related to stormwater management,” confirmed Michael Miller, authority executive director.

It was a talk that matters to those preparing the authority’s budgets at home to pay more for city services and a potential tax hike.

The city doesn’t have the money or staff able to manage or fix broken systems.

Rate-payers of water and sanitary authority may incur a “stormwater” fee that may be attached to sewer bills.

The fee was added as part of a feasibility study on the stormwater management system.

Previously, the fee was estimated to cost $17 to $20 additional per quarter on the average residential users’ bill.

It was based on a feasibility study conducted by resolution with City Council.

A consulting firm for the authority identified areas based on impervious land (which causes more rainwater and stormwater runoff in the system) at what the rate would be.

The fee would help build stormwater-related improvements, such as capital projects, maintenance and administration costs for taking over the system.

Stormwater management systems encompass a vast array of infrastructure, much of it below ground, but also three pump stations that are a part of the levee and discharge clean “effluent” or sewer water that has been treated at the wastewater plants operated by the authority, Miller said. There are nine pump stations and three have sanitary purposes: McClure Run pump station, Basin Street and Arch Street.

Arch Street and McClure Run are sanitary and stormwater and Basin is for sanitary discharge.

Other pump stations are at the mouth of Cemetery Run, Fox Hollow Run, Mill Race, Hepburn Street (Grafius Run), Spring Run and Penn Street.

“It’s very important discussions for the city and region and the eyes of the state are on this,” said Jason Fitzgerald, city economic development consultant.

The levee is costing about $16 million in the next five years, Fitzgerald said.

The pump station repairs could be another $9 million, he said.

The stormwater systems in the city are between 50 and 100 years old, many are failing and need replaced, the officials said.

Starting at $2.99/week.

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