Sewage plan stays on track But habits of bat alter work a bit

By Tom Victoria Eagle Staff Writer | 4/4/2011

WINFIELD TWP — Township officials won’t go batty dealing with an unexpected issue involving a project to bring sewage service to Cabot, Marwood and Knox Chapel. Although the nesting habits of the Indiana bat have altered the order in which some work occurs, the plan to hook up 325 residential and commercial buildings still is on track. Tom Hartwig of Malcolm Pirnie, the Sewickley firm serving as township engineer, told the township supervisors Thursday that work is progressing.

“The contractor is very productive in what he’s doing,” Hartwig said. He explained April is when the endangered species of bat nests in Cabot, so trees needing to be removed for sewage line installation were cleared earlier than originally planned. Since starting a couple months ago, contractor Mortimer’s Excavating of Pulaski, Lawrence County, has installed 12,500 feet of 12-inch pipe and 53 manholes.

“He’s made tremendous progress,” Hartwig said. He said full restoration of the Butler Freeport Community Trail, which was disturbed by the work, should be done in the first week of May. “Hopefully the weather will cooperate,” Hartwig said, referring to the currently wet ground. Supervisor Flo Allison, board chairwoman, is pleased with the work. “We’re very happy with the progress they’re making with the project,” she said in an interview. The project is expected to be done by the end of this year.

Of the total $8.6 million project, construction costs comprise $5.85 million. The remainder of the money will be for legal fees, condemnations, right of way acquisitions and contingency funds. The project is paid for by a $3.37 million state H20 grant and $5.3 million from the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority. The PennVest funding is comprised of a $671,000 grant and a $4.6 million low interest loan. The township also has state grant funds available for needy homeowners who cannot afford connection costs. Although the state Department of Environmental Protection has not ordered Winfield to correct problems created by failing on-lot sewage disposal systems, that agency expects the township to address the issue.