The Coplay Whitehall Sewer Authority’s monthly meeting was held March 20. Chairman James Hahn listed six correspondence items including a summary of Act 537, resolution 3367 authorizing CWSA to act as a designee for matters related to Act 537, an intermunicipal agreement term sheet with signatory notes, a Lehigh County Authority draft resolution for plan revision, the KISS meeting agenda from March 6 and a thank-you note from American Legion Post 426 for CWSA donations.

CWSA General Manager Matt Harleman reported LCA, which is leasing the treatment plant, is currently preparing a new regional Act 537 plan that covers all of the townships and boroughs that send sewage to the treatment plant. Act 537 is the Pennsylvania Sewage Facilities Act.

According to the state, the act is to “help address existing sewage disposal needs and to help prevent future problems through the proper planning, permitting and design of all types of sewage facilities.”

In the process of creating the new plan, there are certain prepared terms, agreements and documents they wished to discuss. The meeting’s discussion pertained to specific items that CWSA might have exception with.

According to the LCA website, lehighcountyauthority.org/act-537-plan, “The interim 537 plan provides detail of the region’s corrective action plan related to the hydraulic overload condition which occurred in 2019 after Pennsylvania received the most annual rainfall since data began being collected in 1895. As a result of the hydraulic overload condition, the Kline’s Island Sewer System (KISS) Signatories working group, with the assistance of ARRO Consulting, has developed this interim plan for the period of 2021 to 2025.”

In other business, Harleman pointed out a draft tapping field report from Keystone Alliance Consulting was received after the board packets went out. He requested the board review and follow up with questions and comments before next month’s meeting, as the intent is that it will be wrapped up at the next meeting and it will no longer say “draft.” It will be added to the April agenda.

Harleman also thanked Coplay Borough for providing assistance with tree trimming around the CWSA grounds.