PV Municipalities: Sewer Rates Rising, Blame Lower Providence

Perkiomen Township and Collegeville Borough announced at their monthly meetings that sewer rates will be going up due to a lawsuit between the Lower Perkiomen Valley Regional Sewer Authority (LPVRSA) and Lower Providence Township.

"The reason we're sending this [letter explaining a rate increase] out is that we had to build a new interceptor, and a small group of residents is holding it up with law suits, and Lower Providence is backing them," said Arnold Mann, Collegeville Borough Vice Chairman at the council's monthly meeting. "The rates are going up because of the lawsuits, and the fact that Lower Providence has not paid their bills to the [LPVRSA], they have put it in a trust - we need to raise our rates to keep the sewer plant operating"

According to Mann, the letter will be sent from the Collegeville/Trappe Municipal Authority, representing both boroughs.

Perkiomen Township Supervisor Richard Kratz had a similar report at his township's meeting, stating that, between a lawsuit and unpaid bills, the LPVRSA needs to make up the $3 million loss resulting from the middle interceptor battle with Lower Providence Township.

"We had a  [LPVRSA] meeting last month, and it was decided that the regional authority has to increase rates by $10 per year for each [Equivalent Dwelling Unit, EDU]," said Perkiomen Township Supervisor Richard Kratz. "There are 3,000 EDU's in the township, so Perkiomen Township alone will be paying $30,000 more to the regional sewer authority."

This debate came to a head during municipal meetings this summer, as all municipalities in the LVPRSA - Trappe, Collegeville, Skippack, and Upper Providence - are in agreement on the location for the interceptor, except for Lower Providence, where the interceptor is planned to be built along the Perkiomen Creek near Arcola Road.

Lower Providence residents, and the township, have asked for an alternative pump station, which they believe will lessen the environmental, health and aesthetic risks to the area.

The pump station, however, will add millions of dollars to the total price tag of the project, according to the LPVRSA representatives.

Visit any of the following articles for more information on the Lower Perkiomen Valley Sewer Issue:

• In Response to LPVRSA's Campaign of Misinformation

• Perkiomen Board Reverses Regional Sewer Authority Vote

• Regional Sewer Authority to Elected Officials: 'Bug Out'

• LowPro Twp. Manager Responds to Perkiomen Twp. Sewer Authority Vote

• Local Officials Support LowPro’s Concern’s over Sewer Interceptor

• The Resident's Story (A Patch Blog from a Lower Providence resident.)