Halifax Township Sewer Extension Project

The Halifax Township Sewer Extension Project is an expansion of the Halifax Area Water and Sewer Authority’s sanitary sewer system to portions of Halifax Township which have been recognized as “Needs Areas” in the Township’s 2018 Act 537 Plan. These areas were identified via evaluation of the number of on-lot disposal system (OLDS) malfunctions, well sample results, soil suitability, and planned and projected growth in the Township. As part of the Act 537 Plan, the Township must provide public sewer service to these needs areas where it is feasible.

The Project will provide public sewer service to three-hundred ninety-four (394) existing residential, commercial, and institutional equivalent dwelling units (EDUs) located generally along Peter’s Mountain Road between Creek Road and Powell’s Valley Road, including portions of Creek Road, Hill Drive, Million Dollar Road, Parmer Drive, and Powell’s Valley Road. The wastewater in the Project area will be conveyed to the Halifax Area Water & Sewer Authority’s (HAWASA) Wastewater Treatment Facility for treatment and disposal, greatly reducing the risk of contamination and fulfilling the requirements of the Act 537 Plan. For a map overview of the sewer extension please see Proposed Project Area.

New customers located in the proposed project area will benefit from public wastewater service, the decommissioning of failed and failing on-lot systems, and the decommissioning of a packaged wastewater treatment facility. These improvements will provide a greater quality of drinking water to the community and protect the local ecology and waterways, allowing for continued growth within the Township.

The proposed sewer facilities will generally consist of 13,169 linear feet (LF) of gravity sewer main, 25,115 LF of low-pressure sewer main, 9,023 LF of force main, three (3) sewage pumping stations, and approximately 143 grinder pump systems. The HAWASA Wastewater Treatment Facility was recently upgraded to handle the additional wastewater from the sewer extension project, plus an allocation for future flows. HAWASA has awarded construction contracts totaling approximately $12.8 million which includes the cost of purchase and installation of grinder pumps, all sewer mains, and pump stations, as well as paving and surface restoration.

The Authority has maintained its commitment to obtain as much public grant funding as possible to reduce the financial burden to the residents of the community, and to date the Authority has secured $17,107,000 in funding from PENNVEST. This funding is available to the Authority in the form of a $10,587,348 grant and a $6,619,652 loan at 1% APR over a 20-year loan period. The success of the grant funding has allowed the Authority to assume the cost of purchase and installation of all grinder pumps required for this Project, greatly reducing the burden to residents.

Homeowner’s fitting certain criteria may find funding assistance for tapping fees, OLDS abandonment, and other costs with the USDA Section 504 Home Repair Program and/or the PENNVEST Homeowner Septic Program. For more information on these programs please see Homeowner Funding Assistance.

Additional Informational Public Meetings are going to be held at the Halifax High School Auditorium on Tuesday, January 23rd and Wednesday, January 30th. The meeting presentation and frequently asked questions will be posted to the Project Site in early February, but it is highly encouraged to attend a meeting in person.

If you have any questions please contact me, Jeff Enders, Authority Chairman, at jenders@dauphincounty.gov or Justin Mendinsky, P.E., HRG’s Project Manager at jmendinsky@hrg-inc.com or come join us at the next round of Public Meetings.