Work is continuing on the Salisbury Township Sanitary Sewer Rehab Project, which is required to comply with a United States Environmental Protection Administration order.

Salisbury is one of the municipalities named in the EPA order issued in 2009. The end of this year is the deadline for the order to be met.

Also named are Allentown, Lehigh County Authority, Coplay-Whitehall Sewer Authority, Alburtis, Emmaus and Macungie boroughs and Hanover, Lower Macungie, Lowhill, South Whitehall, Upper Macungie, Upper Milford and Weisenberg townships.

The Salisbury Township Board of Commissioners voted 4-0, with one commissioner absent, at the April 10 township meeting to approve a $46,225.67 payment to Sewer Speciality Services Company, Inc., Leicester, N.Y., for the rehab project work. Commissioner Joanne Ackerman made the motion, with Commissioner James Seagreaves seconding the motion.

"Most of the work has been done. We're just reviewing everything for the next phase," said Salisbury Township Consulting Engineer David J. Tettemer of Keystone Consulting Engineers, Inc.

"I just hold my breath that we've done enough. I don't see the methodology in the [EPA] court order," said Township Manager Randy Soriano.

"There is a target of 10 percent or 20 percent [infiltration reduction]," said Tettemer.

"Even though we've done all this work, it might not be enough," Soriano said.

"You have done everything reasonable in removing infiltration. That is what Salisbury has done. Salisbury has done its part," said Tettemer.

"Salisbury has been pro-active through the years," said Soriano.

"If other signatories [municipalities and authorities named in the court order] don't do their part, then the EPA may take action," Tettemer said.

A six-month report will be made at the end of the year.

"The final report will review the system pre- and post [repairs]," Tettemer said.

"There may be nothing else you can do. Like it or not, water will find its way into your pipes," said Tettemer.

"Salisbury made the effort to test and repair. Basically, you've done as much as you can do without digging up the system," Tettemer said.

Discharges of raw sewage into the Lehigh River, Little Lehigh Creek, Cedar Creek and Jordan Creek, which have happened since 2003, violate the federal Clean Water Act. The entities named in the EPA order use Allentown's Kline's Island Sewage Treatment Plant.

The Lehigh County Authority (LCA) took over the Allentown sewer system in August 2013. The LCA is seeking a five-year extension of the EPA order.

There are penalties of up to $37,500 daily per civil violation and up to $50,000 daily per criminal violation.

The Little Lehigh provides about 33 percent of Allentown's drinking water. Allentown supplies water to Salisbury, South Whitehall and Hanover townships.