Published: February 17, 2008 11:17 pm      

Gallitzin Twp. mulling options for sewage fix

COUPON — After years of dealing with faulty on-lot septic systems and raw sewage seeping through the ground in this small town, Gallitzin Township officials are considering their options – which could include development of a wastewater treatment plant.

Options for a system will be discussed at a public meeting at 6 p.m. Wednesday at the Ashville Fire Hall. Residents of Gallitzin Township – especially those living in and around Coupon – will be encouraged to offer their opinions.

“It’s very badly needed,” Gallitzin Township Supervisor Michael Racz said last week.

Planning is in the preliminary stages, and no solution has been decided upon. The situation was outlined in a recent study by Gwin, Dobson & Foreman, consulting engineers of Altoona.

That 3-inch-thick study done at the urging of the state Department of Environmental Protection outlines the malfunctioning septic systems in the area.

Essentially, poor soil conditions make it difficult for continued use of existing systems.

“The current sewage disposal methods present a hazard to the environment and the health of the community,” the report concluded.

One of the greatest concerns is the effect of faulty septic systems in a community where residents depend on private wells.

“It’s polluting the water sources,” said Josh James of the engineering firm.

Some Gallitzin Township residents – such as Judy Clossin, who lives near Coupon – are hopeful something will be done soon and that any collection system eventually will be extended into their neighborhood.

Clossin recalled her children playing ball on the Coupon community field where raw sewage pooled on the ground. Grass and trees since have overtaken that field, Racz said.

While a number of options are outlined in the study, the most economically feasible is to construct a 30,000-gallon-per-day treatment plant just east of town or southeast of the village in Logan Township, Blair County.

The cost is estimated at $1.5 million for a system to serve an estimated 80 homes for a $50-$90 monthly fee.

No funding has been set up, but James is hopeful that, with the high number of malfunctioning systems, the Coupon project will qualify for a PennVEST low-interest loan.

“This project isn’t feasible without PennVEST,” he said.



If you go

What: Public meeting on potential municipal sewer system.

When: 6 p.m. Wednesday.

Where: Ashville fire hall.

Who: Gallitzin Township residents, especially those in the Coupon area.