Conewago Municipal Authority

Conewago Municipal Authority Board Members
Greg Hill	John Rochat	Galen Shelly	Ralph Luttrell	Norm Miller
chairman	vice-chair	secretary	treasurer	asst sec-treas
term ends Jan 2009	term ends Jan 2011	term ends Jan 2010	term ends Jan 2012	term ends Jan 2008
5 members, 1 appointed by township supervisors every year for a 5 yr term.
Usual meeting time is first Tuesday of Month at 7pm.

Conewago Municipal Authority Appointed Officials
Peter Henninger	Matt Cichy
Solicitor Jones & Henninger	Engineer Herbert, Rowland & Grubic

Click here to see the Sewer Authority Meeting Minutes.

Phase II Sewer Information
Revised 03/09/2007

1. Latest News: As this is written (March 9, 2007), construction has just begun with projected completion of the Phase II Sewer Extension in mid-2008. See Mar 07, 2007 CMA Press Release Construction of the Phase II Sewer Project is administered by Derry Township Municipal Authority, 670 Clearwater Road, Hershey, PA 17033-2453, phone 717.566.3237 extension 301, Mrs. Kim Bloom. Prior to sewer hook-up, Phase II residents must comply with the septic pumping requirements in place for the rest of the township. (Unofficially, if you received notice to pump in 2007, but are going to hook up to the sewer in 2008, I think it unlikely that the township will take enforcement action against you if you delay pumping until your sewer hookup.)
   

   Sewer Phase 2 Map

2. Where's the sewer going? The township's Act 537 plan, (the so-called 5-10 year plan or Phase II) also calls for extending the sewer to Rt 743/Old Hershey Rd area. The plan includes most of Ridge Rd from Chestnut to Old Hershey. Most of Old Hershey north of Ridge Road. Round Top from Old Hershey to about 4103 Round Top. The west side of 743 from just above University Music to the Conewago School. As of March 2006 revisions, the east side of 743 goes to Adventure Sports and the Free Church parcel. (It may also extend to some businesses below Adventure Sports.)

3. When is it going to be here?

   Phase II Sewer Area is moving from the design to the construction stage. Sewer construction began March 5, 2007 in the Jacob's Creek area. No firm schedule is available, but it may move to Ridge Road within a number of weeks.

   Phase II Sewer Timeline

   • Begin Design - Sept 2005
   • Construction Bids: November 2006
   • Begin Construction: March 2007
   • End Construction: Aug 2008
   • Note: Users may be required to hook up before all construction is complete.

4. What will it cost?
   

   The Conewago Municipal Authority submitted an application for funding assistance to PENNVEST on June 6, 2006. A funding award was made on July 18, 2006. Construction bids were received on November 6, 2006. Tentative agreement has been reached with DTMA on a Sewer Service agreement. Some adjustment may be made to the PennVest award prior to closing scheduled for January 17, 2007. Actual construction award should be made after that. Some changes were made to the PennVest financing due to lower than expected costs. Closing took place on March 1, 2007.

   First you have the one-time hook-up costs. Start with a "tapping fee" of $6000. This represents only a portion of system construction costs. Add your cost to run the sewer to your house from the street, maybe another $3000. This will vary depending on how long the run is, and whether your inside plumbing needs to be modified. Your existing septic tank has to be filled in. If you need a grinder pump to go up hill, maybe another $___. There will be a credit of about $4400 for residences (not commercial) that will need grinder pumps.
   Phase 2 tapping fees: From the March 6, 2007 CMA meeting: a $6000 tapping fee, $4400 residential grinder pump credit is expected.

   Monthly fees. DTMA's current monthly fees are: The monthly sewer fee for users with wells will be $33.00 ($396.00/yr). For users with metered water, monthly fee will be $9.00 + $4.30 per 1000 gallons. These fees reflect the April 2007 5% rate increase. From the March 6, 2007 CMA meeting: The monthly costs for Phase II should be the same as Conewago Phase I and in Derry Township.

5. My septic's fine. I just put in a sand mound. I don't want to hook-up. Do I have to? The township passed a mandatory connection ordinance on Nov 8, 2006. Any dwelling within 150 feet of the sewer line has to hook-up. Optional hook-up would result in so few people hooking up that the per-dwelling costs would be unbearable.

Phase II Sewer Documents

These are Conewago Township and Conewago Municipal Authority documents relating to the Phase II Sewer Plan. This is in order by date.

1. Act 537 of 1965 - state law on sewage (289k - big file!)
   
   
2. Oct 26, 1998 - Res. 1998-1 - Conewago Act 537 Sewage Facilities Plan
   (29MB - super humongous file!) Don't dream of downloading without high-speed internet connection.
   Accepted by PA DEP approx 12/31/98
   179 pages with 15 detailed maps
   
   

   This document is also available for review at the township office.
   It was largely prepared by the township engineer, Rettew Assoc.
   It is rather lengthy and includes an asessment of the need for waste water treatment in the township.
   It presents a number of alternate plans for meeting this need.
   It incorporates both 0-5 and 5-10 year plans.
   It includes written public comments and responses.
   
   

3. Jul 28, 2003 - DTMA Sewer System Rates, Rules and Regulations (219k)
   
   

4. Act 537 Update July 2005
   Public comment period ends Aug 24, 2005. Scheduled for adoption at Sep 14, 2005 meeting

   July 2005 - Act 537 Update for Phase II 743/Old Hershey Rd very big file ~8MB
   (66 pages) It was largely prepared by HRG. This reports results of testing of well and septic systems in the Rt 743/ Old Hershey Road area. It was done prior to seeking lower cost Penvest financing of the Phase II sewer construction.
   
   
5. Aug 10, 2005 - Res. No 2005-? - Conewago Municipal Authority
   The Conewago Municipal Authority was created primarily to seek funding for Phase II Sewer construction.
   
   
6. Aug 10, 2005 - Sewer Phase II Design Request for Proposal large file ~1.3MB Includes map and time-line for Phase II Sewer.
   
   Timeline for Phase II Sewer Implementation.
   03/05-08/05 - base mapping
   08/05 - create Authority
   09/05 - Act 537 Update
   09/05-11/05 - preliminary design
   02/06-03/06 - final design
   04/06-06/06 - bid project
   08/06-08-07 - construction
   08/07 - system operational
   
   
7. Sep 06, 2005 - Sewer Phase II Design Bids
   bids received for Phase II design.
   
   
8. Sep 6, 2005 - Draft By-Laws for Conewago Municipal Authority
   
   
9. Oct 26, 2005 - Sewer Phase II Design Agreement
   
   
10. Feb 2006 - DTMA 2006 Sewer Rate Adjustment Notice - about 12% increase
    2006 Water and Sewer Rates (Phase I only)
    
    
11. Mar 29, 2006 - Sewer Phase II Design Map - reflects changes to Phase II sewer design presented at the March CMA meeting.
    
    
12. May 10, 2006 - Conewago Township - Conewago Municipal Authority Loan Agreement
    
    

13. PENNVEST Loan and Grant
    July 18, 2006

    PENNVEST has approved a $6,623,782 loan and $618,782 grant to Conewago Municipal Authority to install more than four miles of sewage collection lines and mains to serve the Route 743, Old Hershey Road, Ridge, Road, Roundtop Road and Oak Drive area of the township . The loan will be for a term of 30 years at a rate of 1%. The projected cost is now $7,247,564. That is $5 million MORE than the original projected cost in the 1998 Act 537 Plan when economic feasibility was determined.
    
    Aug 09, 2006 - CMA Press Release on PennVest Award
    
    
14. Aug 1, 2006 - Sewer Phase II Design Map - reflects changes to Phase II sewer design presented at the August CMA meeting.
    
    

15. Pennvest Debt Ordinance, Mandatory Sewer Connection Ordinance, Conewago Township - Conewago Municipal Authority Sewer Service Agreement, Conewago Municipal Authority Rights-of-Way
    November 08, 2006

    Nov 08, 2006	Ord. 2006-3	Pennvest (Sewer) Debt (Phase II)
    Nov 08, 2006	Ord. 2006-4	Mandatory Sewer Connection (Phase II)
    Nov 08, 2006	Res. 2006-10	Conewago Township - Conewago Municipal Authority Agreement
    Nov 08, 2006	Agreement	Conewago Township - Conewago Municipal Authority Agreement
    Nov 08, 2006	Res. 2006 11	Conewago Municipal Authority Rights-of-Way

    
    

16. Phase 2 Sewer Service Agreement and Lease Agreement among Conewago Township, Conewago Municipal Authority and Derry Township Municipal Authority; DTMA Rules, Rates and Regs

    Feb 10, 2007	Sewer Service Agreement (Phase 2)
    Feb 19, 2007	Lease Agreement (Phase 2)
    Mar 05, 2007	DTMA Rules Rates and Regs
    Apr 01, 2007	DTMA Rates

    
    

17. PENNVEST Loan and Grant (REVISED)
    March 1, 2007

    PENNVEST has approved a $4,591,356 loan and $618,782 grant to Conewago Municipal Authority to install more than four miles of sewage collection lines and mains to serve the Route 743, Old Hershey Road, Ridge, Road, Roundtop Road and Oak Drive area of the township. The loan will be for a term of 25 years at a rate of 1%. The projected cost is now $5,210,138.
    

    Mar 07, 2007 - CMA Press Release on Construction Start
    
    

18. Apr 2007 - DTMA 2007 Sewer Rate Adjustment Notice - about 5% increase
    2007 Water and Sewer Rates (Phase I only)
    
    
19. August 8, 2007 - Agreement #1 - Hershey Trust, CMA, CT, DTMA - Hershey Trust purchase of 110 edus of sewer capacity
    Agreement #2 - CMA, CT, DTMA - related payment agreement
    
    

Conewago Municipal Authority 2007 Meetings
Date	Meeting
Jan 09, 2007	Conewago Municipal Authority
Feb 06, 2007	Conewago Municipal Authority
Mar 06, 2007	Conewago Municipal Authority
Apr 03, 2007	Conewago Municipal Authority
May 01, 2007	Conewago Municipal Authority
Jun 05, 2007	Conewago Municipal Authority
Jul 03, 2007	Conewago Municipal Authority
Aug 07, 2007	Conewago Municipal Authority
Sep 04, 2007	Conewago Municipal Authority
Oct 02, 2007	Conewago Municipal Authority
Nov 13, 2007	Conewago Municipal Authority
Dec 04, 2007	Conewago Municipal Authority

Years 2005 - 2006 Conewago Municipal Authority /
Sewer Advisory Board Meetings