The Whitehall Township Board of Commissioners on Monday will revisit the City of Allentown's proposal to privatize its water and wastewater systems.

The proposal could impact township residents because the Coplay-Whitehall Sewer Authority contracts with the city for sewage treatment.

Commissioner Paul Geissinger brought to Monday's workshop a proposed resolution stating, "The Board of Commissioners of the Township of Whitehall opposes the privatization of Allentown's water and sewer systems."

By a 4-3 vote at its February meeting, the commissioners failed to adopt a similar resolution, saying they don't want to tell the city what to do.

Commissioners President Linda Snyder said if Allentown moves forward in privatizing its water and sewer system, "Our [sewer] rates will go up."

"Don't make it wishy-washy," Commissioners Vice President Philip Ginder said during a discussion of possible changes in wording. The resolution should be simple and straightforward, he said.

Geissinger's proposed resolution refers to a 50-year contract that would lock the people of Allentown and surrounding municipalities into an untenable, long-term commitment with a low degree of flexibility.

Geissinger advanced his argument for adopting a resolution using a fact sheet from Food & Water Watch, based in Washington, D.C.. It includes an analysis of Allentown's revised water and sewer deal.

One of the key findings in the report was that by the end of the contract, the typical household will be paying more than 15 times what it is paying today for water and sewer service.