Allegheny Township’s sewage authority plans to start interviewing engineering firms for potential upgrades to the community’s pump stations.
Preliminary estimates from the township’s engineering firm, KLH, put the cost of the project around $1.5 million.
The Municipal Authority of Allegheny Township met Wednesday to decide whether to move forward on plans to eliminate a pump station on Melwood Road and combine it with a different station on Markle Road. There are also plans to reconstruct the station on Chartiers Avenue.
“With the money the way it is and as low as the interest rate is, I think it’s a good time to do it,” board member Joseph Ferguson said.
Ferguson said the Melwood and Markle stations are both in poor condition and should be combined on the Markle site with an upgraded generator. That way, there will only be one station to maintain.
The Chartiers pump station has also had issues, officials said. Its generator is around 20 years old, and the oil tank has failed at least once.
The municipal authority is also considering switching engineering firms, after officials expressed some dissatisfaction with KLH.
Ferguson said there was an issue with an air vent on Bagdad Road, for example, that resulted in a sewage overflow.
“That was pretty pricey for us,” Ferguson said of the overflow.
Fellow board member Joe Defilippi was also interested in revisiting the KLH contract. He said the Melwood pump was refurbished by KLH for about $90,000 and was supposed to last 30 to 40 years. It only lasted about 20, he said.
“That’s a major disappointment to me, but I don’t have enough information on any other firm at this point to make a decision,” Defilippi said.
KLH could not be reached for comment Thursday or Friday.
The firm was also recently involved in a disagreement with the Freeport Council, after the long-considered project turned out to cost much more than the original estimate.
Ferguson said he is interested in considering Bankson Engineers, a firm based out of Indiana Township.
“They live in the area. They’ve got a stake in the action here,” Ferguson said.
But when it comes to changing firms, the municipal authority wants to move cautiously.
“There are deficiencies with both, but they have to deal with so many unknowns,” said member Bud Bisceglia, citing the Freeport dispute and a similar project in Springdale.
Once the municipal authority chooses a firm and gets designs for the pump stations, they will have a better estimate for the full cost of the project, the members said. But the next meeting must include a “frank discussion” with KLH about the concerns, they said.
Additionally, Defilippi said he would start conversations with First Commonwealth Bank and S&T Bank about a potential line of credit. If the authority moves forward with the project, there could be a potential rate increase for residents.
“We can’t kick the can down the road. We’re going to have to make a decision,” said Ferguson. “Because when we’re gone, somebody’s going to have to live with what we do. We’ve got to make the right decision.”
