Lower Towamensing Township could see a $1.5 million savings in its sewer plant project.

Doug Kopp, a civil engineer with ARRO Consulting, provided an update to the township’s board of supervisors on Tuesday.

Kopp told supervisors there was a way to bring the cost of the sewer system down.

He said the north and south sides of Little Gap Road would become low pressure.

Kopp said the users would be the same 28 customers who would need grinder pumps.

He said the system savings projection would reduce the cost from $15 million to $13.5 million.

“I am strongly recommending that,” Kopp said.

Supervisor Michael Takerer said he was on board with that.

“It makes more sense to go with a pressurized system to try to save $1.5 million,” Takerer said. “Agree it’s a wiser choice to go this route.”

Supervisors then gave Kopp the go-ahead to pursue converting that section from gravity to a grinder pump station.

Kopp said the next step is pursuing permits from various state agencies.

In September, Kopp provided supervisors with a sewer plan review and discussed the timetable to come up with a solid design plan.

That, Kopp said, would be followed by water quality management, then a Pennsylvania Department of Transportation permit.

He told supervisors at that time the plan would then be to get all of that sent out and reviewed so that within 12 to 15 months, they could get plans to start bidding.

A three- to six-month bidding process is expected.

Construction, Kopp said at that time, would be March through June, and last about 24 months.

By 2028, he said the sewer system would be up.

The township is trying to figure out where it will get funding.

Concerning easements, Kopp said that would take place once they get the initial information sent out to the agencies.

Township solicitor Jim Nanovic said at that time depending on how many easements are necessary, there may be several meetings.

Nanovic said that if the people do not grant an easement, the township can use eminent domain.

In July, Kopp told supervisors that work on the computer aided design files was about 70% done, and the work on the entire plan set was about 60% done.

The sewer project has been under consideration for decades. It gained steam under Carbon Engineering in 2022, but stalled. ARRO Consulting took over the project in 2023, but progress was slow as it waited to receive all of the CAD drawings from Carbon Engineering, not knowing if they would have to start the project from the beginning.

Carbon wouldn’t release all of their work, because of a payment discrepancy with the township. By March of 2024, ARRO was getting the CAD files it needed.

For ARRO’s part, Kopp told the supervisors in March that the professional services agreement with them for the work would cost the township $103,000. He told them the township would not be charged anything above that cost, even if there are additional costs for their work.

As for the installation of the sewer line, back in February 2023, Brent Green, then chairman of the supervisors, said the project was estimated to cost $16 million under Carbon Engineering. The project was expected to serve 690 dwellings.