This sign on the Susquehanna riverbank warns people to avoid contact with the water during “heavy rainfall events.”
Capital Region Water and several governmental entities have reached an agreement designed to staunch the flow of pollutants into area waterways and substantially improve water quality over the next 10 years.
On Monday, the parties filed a modification to a prior “partial consent decree” that sets a path forward for improvements to Harrisburg’s water/sewer infrastructure.
“The compliance milestones and projects identified in the Modification to the Partial Consent Decree will ensure compliance with wet weather targets, but it’s not the end goal,” said Charlotte Katzenmoyer, CEO of Capital Region Water (CRW), in a statement. “We encourage public comment now and will continue to provide various opportunities for the public to provide input on a larger plan to control combined sewer overflow events, which are a symptom of our dated, aging infrastructure.”
In addition to CRW, signatories to the agreement include the city of Harrisburg, the U.S. Department of Justice, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the PA Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).
In August, the CRW board approved of the modification, followed by the city and the state and federal agencies.
Like in many older cities, much of Harrisburg has a combined sewer system that handles both wastewater and stormwater flowing to its treatment plant. When it rains, the system is easily overwhelmed, sending untreated water directly into area waters, including the Susquehanna River. The system also suffers from aged infrastructure that often is in serious disrepair.
Since 2015, CRW has been operating under a “partial consent decree” to begin to address the problem. The modified agreement, lodged on Monday in Federal District Court in Harrisburg, is an important step in the continuing effort to finalize a long-term plan to improve the system and slash stream and river pollution.
Under the modified agreement, CRW will have until Dec. 31, 2024 to provide EPA with an updated long-term plan to control sewage overflows. The agreement also sets monetary penalties for violations of the consent decree.
“Given Harrisburg’s long history of failing to address this obvious public health hazard, it is critical that EPA and DEP hold Capital Region Water strictly accountable for compliance with the modified consent decree’s deadlines and terms,” stated Ted Evgeniadis of the Lower Susquehanna Riverkeeper, responding to the court filing. “Pennsylvania must step up and help Capital Region Water with funding to end these sewage overflows and avoid future delays. No more extensions or modifications can be given, and any violation of the deadlines must trigger the immediate application of penalties.”
The modification process isn’t quite complete with Monday’s court filing. A notice will now appear in the Federal Register, leading to a 30-day public comment period. After this, the governmental agencies are able to ask the court for final approval of the consent decree.
In all, CRW plans to invest some $200 million over the next decade to double the system’s “capture rate,” so that it captures and treats at least 85% of system flow during wet weather. According to CRW, the mitigation plan includes various types of projects, such as system repairs, rehabilitation and replacement.
For instance, CRW is in the midst of a $17 million rehabilitation of the Front Street interceptor, which runs through about three miles of Riverfront Park.
In 2019, CRW began installing new pipe liner in the 108-year-old, 30-inch diameter main. The current phase, slated for completion this summer, will extend the project from about Seneca Street to the pumping station in Shipoke.
CRW’s system improvement plan also includes the continued build-out of green infrastructure, which is designed to capture stormwater before it enters the sewer system.
Click here to read the Modification to the Partial Consent Decree and here to comment once the case is posted.
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