The Coplay Whitehall Sewer Authority is in the midst of preparing for its annual audit and review, set for April 16.

"This is a regularly scheduled review and everyone that reviews our operations will make a presentation," authority Chair John Schreiner said at the March 19 meeting.

Scheduled reports will be conducted by the auditor, legal counsel and engineering. This is a closely watched report and the first full year since CWSA worked with Lehigh County Authority (LCA). The LCA won a lease contract for Allentown's wastewater treatment plant.

The plant treats sewage from Coplay and Whitehall.

Darryl Jenkins, the authority's resident engineer, reported bids will be used for refurbishing 77 manholes April 23.

"The proposal will cover two of our four red zones," General Manager David Harleman said.

Most of the manholes identified by Harleman are brick-lined access points.

The CWSA is under a federal Environmental Protection Agency mandate to reduce clear water infiltration into the sewage system. The authority has made significant progress in reducing clear water infiltration.

The EPA contends reducing infiltration from rainwater sources will increase the efficiency of the wastewater treatment facility and delay the need for plant improvements. Rainwater does not need to be treated and is best used to replenish aquifers using natural filtration.

"We have not had any residential inspections during the cold-weather months because all the down spouts are snow covered," board member Joseph Marx said.

The EPA suspects a major source of rainwater infiltration comes from residential users. Part of the mandate requires that all residential customer homes be inspected to determine if there are sources where rainwater can enter the sewage system.

At last report, on-site home inspections to verify that clear water from sump pumps and down spouts are not dumped into the sewage system have been completed for close to 80 percent of the residential customers served. The inspections are well ahead of any of the other municipalities using the Allentown wastewater treatment plant.

Marx said he would like to see the remaining customers inspected by summer.

Inspections conducted by qualified third-party agencies show the CWSA system is tightly controlled. However, a potential for infiltration exists with the aging manholes in the system.

Earlier in the year, the board proposed teaming up with Upper Macungie Township to develop a better price from a subcontractor on relining manholes.

Harleman's staff identified 85 potential problem areas and released 77 to the subcontractor.

"We can add more if it makes sense," Harleman said. "We will get unit pricing from the contractor."

CWSA crews are capable of making the repairs, but using a subcontractor allows the manholes to be lined quickly.

Harleman previously indicated it could take years to get all problematic manholes lined using the present crews.

"They have a pretty full schedule without adding a lot of specialized work," Harleman added.

The authority is considering joining a rural water association.

"The issues addressed by the rural areas are closer to what we experience," Marx noted. "We can gain some benefit from interacting with the group."

The full board will take the proposal under advisement.