A view of Harrisburg from the Susquehanna River
A Harrisburg-area utility has finalized a long-term plan that envisions spending over $1 billion on upgrades to reduce wastewater flow into area waterways.
On Wednesday, Capital Region Water (CRW) stated that it had submitted a final “Pollution Reduction Plan” to state and federal regulators that would spend about $1.43 billion over 40 years to slash waste entering the Susquehanna River and Paxton Creek.
“The plan is technically feasible, cost-effective, resilient, sustainable and keeps our customers’ well-being at the forefront,” said Charlotte Katzenmoyer, CEO of CRW.
For many years, under agreements with federal and state agencies, CRW has been developing and refining a plan to improve Harrisburg’s aged, combined sewer system, which allows untreated wastewater to flow into area waterways during rain events.
That plan now includes a wide variety of system improvements, including pipe replacement and rehabilitation, green infrastructure and water storage systems, work that will continue for about four more decades.
According to CRW, the plan, when complete, will reduce overflows into the Susquehanna from about 90 events in a typical year to 12, and into Paxton Creek from 95 events to 16. Overflow volumes across the entire system would be reduced by 82%, according to CRW.
The project cost and timeline are much greater than previously reported. Previously, CRW had stated that system upgrades should cost about $315 million over 20 years.
According to CRW, the current cost projection of $1.43 billion is dramatically higher because it accounts for inflationary impacts over the long project lifespan. The project’s cost in terms of present value has risen by much less, to $455 million, CRW told TheBurg.
The project’s complexity and high cost has caused the timeline to be extended, CRW stated.
“Extending the implementation period over 40 years will help minimize undue financial strain on our customers,” CRW said, in a statement.
CRW funds the project through a variety of means, including low-interest state loans and a user-based stormwater fee, which was implemented in 2020.
CRW said that it has been working to improve the system since the utility’s inception in 2013, so far investing over $200 million.
The final “Pollution Reduction Plan” and timeline now must be approved by the federal Environmental Protection Agency.
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