At the Coplay-Whitehall Sewer Authority (CWSA) regular meeting Feb. 18, Chairman John Schreiner announced the EPA granted the authority an extension to comply with an EPA mandate to reduce rainwater infiltration.

All municipalities using the Allentown Waste Water Treatment Plant are under a mandate to reduce clear water infiltration.

Clear water is mainly rain water entering the system from manholes, ground water penetration and residential/commercial runoff added to the sewer lines. Clear water does not need to be treated. Reducing the volume of water extends the life of the treatment facility and helps keep rates low.

The mandate requires certain actions, including an inspection of all commercial and residential buildings to see if there is any rain water diverted into the sewer lines. Typically, gutters or sump pumps are discharged into the sewer line.

Board member Joseph Marx confirmed the action.

“We are over 90-percent complete on our inspections,” he said.

The extension allows the authority until 2017 to comply with the requirements.

In addition to the inspections, the authority has relined old brick manholes to prevent infiltration and upgraded older sewer lines to prevent groundwater infiltration.

In a related matter, the authority settled a long-standing disagreement with Lehigh County Authority (LCA) over billing. LCA operates the Allentown Waste Water Treatment Plant under its lease with the City of Allentown.

CWSA reported on its agreement with PA One Call for specific assets outside its normal operating area. As Schreiner explained, CWSA has certain interceptors outside the Whitehall-Coplay area. The authority needs to be notified if there is construction activity taking place that necessitates locating the sewer lines.

The authority asked PA One Call to make changes to its mapping program to allow calls to be directed to CWSA for these assets. The map changes are required to identify specific areas controlled by CWSA. Under the old program, all calls were directed to Allentown and had to be relayed to CWSA.

Schreiner announced the annual meeting is delayed to May because of scheduling conflicts. The meeting is normally held in April.