Reynoldsville Sewer and Water Authority to take action on delinquent bills

With new member Mike Beck on hand, the Reynoldsville Water and Sewer Authority held its monthly meeting on February 24 at the authority’s offices and started the process of recouping delinquent bills.

According to information released at the meeting, past due bills of 30 days or more total $85,000. The total for bills for 90 days or more is around $34,000.

It was decided that with the March billing coming out in a few weeks, a notice will be given for those with past due bills to contact the authority and come up with a payment plan. The authority directed its solicitor Jeff Gordon to write a letter of agreement that stipulates that if the payments are not made, the water will be turned off.

The authority also voted to start sending bills to the property owners instead of the renters starting with the June billing. A letter to this effect will be sent to the property owners in the coming weeks. It was noted at the last meeting that 60% of customers in the authority’s service area were renters, and if the water bills are past due they are hard to collect.

Water problems

In recent weeks, customers started to notice an odor in the water. In his report, Systems Manager Robert Crosby said the problem was with a carbon feed system and that the system has been repaired. He said the smell “should go away.”

Initially, the board was going to vote on a motion to purchase a new carbon feed system, but that motion was tabled because Crosby said that it would be an expensive purchase and he had a different proposal.

Crosby recommended that the current system should be moved to a different site on the property and that a building should be purchased to house it. The board asked Crosby to put together the necessary specifications for the new building and present them at the next meeting.

New Dollar General, drought contingency plan update

In the engineering report from the authority’s engineering firm PVE, it was recommended the authority authorize Solicitor Gordon to draw up a developer’s agreement for the new Dollar General Store to be located along East Main Street and Prescotville Road just over the borough line in Winslow Township.

The buildings in the area will be demolished to make way for the development. Systems Manager Crosby said three lines in the area will be reduced to one to service the new store. So far no timeline on when the project will begin has been released.

The board approved the motion.

The board also approved another recommendation that PVE begin work on a revised drought contingency plan as requested by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). The plan has not been updated for 10 years.

Sewage Authority

Once the water authority meeting was wrapped up, the board then opened the sewage authority meeting. A recommendation from the engineers for the purchase of a new piece of equipment along with related parts for the Fifth Street Lift Station was approved. The cost was set at $18, 566.

PVE also informed the authority that is has begun working on the 2020 Annual Water Wasteload Management Report that will be submitted to the DEP.

Board chairman Barry Fillman asked for input on projects that might be considered for the annual Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program. Systems Manager Crosby, who has written successful CDBG applications in the past, said that income levels in the area for proposed projects are a very important consideration. More discussion will take place on this subject at future meetings.

The next meeting for the Water and Sewer Authority Board is slated for March 10 at 4 p.m. at the authority’s offices.