Several meetings ago, the Coplay-Whitehall Sewer Authority looked at reworking a flow metering pit along the Lehigh River.

"We looked at redoing it because we were getting readings that didn't make a lot of sense," said Darryl Jenkins, CWSA's consulting engineer.

At CWSA's June 18 meeting, Jenkins presented a more detailed report.

"We did preliminary excavations and found that some pipes shifted about an inch and a half," he said.

The negative slope caused by the shifting pipes could account for some of the disparate readings. The plan is to rework the flow meter facility. For the project to start, CWSA needs approval from the railroad.

According to Jenkins, the request is submitted, but a response might take as long as a month.

CWSA board Chairman John Schreiner asked Jenkins to prepare bid documents for the project while waiting for approval from the railroad.

"There is a minimal risk that there may be technical changes demanded by the railroad," Jenkins said.

Schreiner still wanted to move forward. The railroad could make some changes, but the potential risk will be addressed in the bid.

Flow meters are key to making the sewer system efficient. All new metering pits have improved technology so they can be monitored from a single remote location.

In other business, General Manager David Harleman uncovered a billing error from the Lehigh County Authority (LCA). This is the latest of many LCA billing disputes.

When LCA leased the Allentown system, it became the operator of the Allentown Wastewater Treatment Plant. The Allentown plant treats sewage for Coplay and Whitehall, along with several other municipalities. LCA bills the municipalities for sewage treated. Harleman uncovered an error that saved ratepayers about $32,000.

CWSA counted on a Community Development Block Grant from Lehigh County to improve sewer lines along Front Street in Coplay. Although the grant received verbal approval, the funds were formally denied.

There were houses in Whitehall that used the sewer main. CDBG grants are based on household income with awards going to areas with lower income thresholds. Based on the decision, either the household incomes in Whitehall are sustainably higher or the household incomes were not supplied. In either case, the funds were denied.

The CWSA portion of the project was a coordinated effort with Coplay to redo Front Street. Coplay agreed to pave to the point of the planned sewer work and complete the effort once the sewer work was complete.

There is an appeal process with a meeting scheduled for July 15.

"We can't just turn our backs on a potential $180,000 grant," Schreiner said.

CWSA will be represented at the meeting, but there is little hope the decision will be reversed. For Coplay, it means the project will be delayed.

"We can get the Whitehall income levels for them if that will change the decision, but we need to reapply for the grant," Schreiner said. "It might delay the project into 2017."