The Whitehall Township Board of Commissioners on Monday adopted a resolution opposing Allentown's plan to lease its water and wastewater systems.

The action reverses a decision last month, when the commissioners voted 4-3 to reject a similar resolution. Opponents said they did not want to tell the city what to do.

This month's resolution, passed unanimously, will be forwarded to Allentown Mayor Ed Pawlow-ski, Allentown City Council and the Lehigh County Board of Commissioners.

Commissioners President Linda Snyder thanked Commissioner Paul Geissinger for proposing the newer version of the resolution.

Privatization would lead to drastically increased water and sewer rates for customers of Allentown's water and wastewater systems, including not only Allentown residents, but also residents of surrounding municipalities that purchase drinking water or wastewater/sewage treatment from the City of Allentown, the resolution states.

Further, the resolution notes the city's draft concession agreement would allow infrastructure to degrade and it would create an alternative route for the concessionaire to charge customers. Privatization would constitute a "fee through the tap" on the city residents and surrounding municipalities.

The resolution noted privatization would place control of a vital public resource in the hands of a private corporation motivated ultimately by profit, as opposed to a public entity, which is compelled to provide accessible, affordable and safe water and sewer services.

The 50-year concession contract would lock the people of Allentown and surrounding municipalities into an untenably long-term commitment with a low degree of flexibility, commissioners said.

The action follows an October resolution backing the Coplay-Whitehall Sewer Authority in its efforts to oppose the city's plan to lease water and sewer operations in order to raise money to fund a pension debt.

The majority of township residents are customers of CWSA, which uses Allentown's wastewater treatment plant.