The Harrison Township Committee has voted to adopt two sewer-related ordinances, one to upgrade the sewer plant’s disinfection system and the other to establish who handles maintenance on a property.
The sewer plant upgrades will cost $3.2 million to ensure the system abides by state mandates. Originally introduced at the committee’s Sept. 15 meeting, the ordinance was tabled until the committee’s Oct. 20 session because two committeemen were absent on Oct. 6, when the measure was originally supposed to be adopted after a public hearing.
“This is to bring our wastewater treatment plant up to compliance with state regulations,” said Mayor Adam Wingate. “I know we’ve had a permit for the last couple years. But that permit runs out at some point, and this brings the permit up to speed.”
“The way our sewer is set up financially is that we’re not an MUA,” explained Township Administrator Dennis Chambers at the Oct. 6 meeting. “If we had an MUA, we wouldn’t even be having this conversation. It’s an autonomous body that would handle all that.
“The finance department is putting out this bond on behalf of the sewer department,” he added. “However, the township itself and the current fund is not funding it. It’s funded through the sewer budget.”
A public hearing was held for the ordinance without anyone participating, so the measure was unanimously approve and adopted.
The second ordinance primarily focuses on the sewer maintenance of a homeowner’s property and the portion of it for which residents are responsible.
“This is just to clean up the ordinance and clear out the gray area of the homeowner’s residency responsibility,” Wingate noted.
The new ruling states that the owner is responsible for sewer maintenance from the length of a house to the curb. Maintaining anything beyond that will be the responsibility of the township. The measure was also passed unanimously after a public hearing.
The next committee meeting is scheduled for Monday at 7 p.m.
