Storms cited in sewer sale protests
TOWAMENCIN » Residents continue to sound off about a possible sale of Towamencin’s sewer system, citing early September storms as one more reason not to sell.
“On August 31, 2021, in anticipation of the remnants of Hurricane Ida moving up the east coast and into southeastern Pennsylvania, the Towamencin township employees were out in force, clearing out the storm drains, to minimize the effect of flooding on homeowners,” said resident Judy Phipps.
“One could not help but hear on the news how customers who have Aqua America as their sewer and water managers fared: Phoenixville residents were un
der water restrictions and boil water cautions for several days. In Towamencin, which currently owns its own sewer authority, there were no such problems,” she said.
Since the fall of 2020, Towamencin’s supervisors have discussed studying a possible sale of the township sewer system, hiring outside firm PFM Financial Advisors in January to vet potential buyers interested in purchasing the Towamencin Municipal Authority and operating it privately. PFM has given updates on the data gathering for the sale process each month, the board has said fact-finding will likely continue at least into early 2022, and residents have created a “Towamencin Neighbors Opposing Privatization Efforts” Facebook group to share their side, and have sounded off in numerous board meetings over the summer.
Those comments continued on Sept. 8, with Phipps and several others citing storms from the prior week as a reason to oppose the sale, in comments made in person and others submitted online and read by board Chairman Chuck Wilson.
“Is there anything that speaks more loudly against selling our sewer authority to a third party, that has no stake in maintaining sewer and water for its own residents, than last week’s flooding?” Phipps said.
“We would all have been much worse off, with this recent storm, had Aqua America or another entity, only interested in money and assets, owned and managed our sewer authority,” she said.
Wilson clarified, after reading Phipps’s comment, that the sanitary sewer and stormwater systems are separate: “We are not looking at the possibility of selling our stormwater system. That’s separate and apart from the sanitary sewer system.”
Resident Martin Cohen said he had read up on recent similar sewer sales to companies such as Aqua, and the results for residents.
“Aqua America bought the sewer system in Limerick three years ago, and put in for a 90 percent increase” in rates charged to customers, he said.
“I just don’t know, and don’t think we’re going to know for ten, 20, 25 years, if that’s going to work, or if it’s just going to prove to be a total disaster,” Cohen said.
Kofi Osei, founder of the local NOPE group, reiterated his request that the board hold at least one public townhall on the topic, advertised by mail, and said he felt few residents would object to slight sewer rate increases each year if it meant keeping control over the system.
“If we are funding township finances with sewer rates, those increased rates can only be described as a tax. And as a proud American, I don’t fancy being taxed without representation,” he said.
“Let’s say the sewer is sold, and the Towamencin of the future wants to use population growth as a funding mechanism. Whoever acquires the sewer could decide it’s cheaper to pump flow from another township, whose sewer was not as well maintained as ours, and deny township requests for more flow to
“It’s important that the residents who have paid to run the sewer system for years, now know where the money will go.” — Tina Gallagher
“We would all have been much worse off, with this recent storm, had Aqua America or another entity, only interested in money and assets, owned and managed our sewer authority.” — resident Judy Phipps
accommodate the future population. Future Towamencin is now stuck with the bills of maintaining whatever infrastructure the current supervisors build, with their lump sum, and are also robbed of the agency to decide on a funding solution. Of course, they can’t sell the sewer again,” Osei said.
Resident Richard Costlow said he had trouble reading documents on the township’s online data room regarding the sale, and asked that a new folder be created for residents to find updates.
“It would allow those of us who have already read all of the old information, to easily see what’s new and stay informed,” he said.
Frank Lear asked a direct question: “How is selling the public sewer system going to benefit the residents? It’s a critical service, that has been very dependable, at a reasonable price. Can you assure residents that will continue to be the case?”
Tina Gallagher said she was still looking forward to an FAQ answering resident questions, and a dedicated townhall meeting.
“It’s important that the residents who have paid to run the sewer system for years, now know where the money will go,” she said. Wilson replied that an FAQ was still being developed, and could be available on the township’s sewer sale study website as soon as the board’s Sept. 22 meeting.
“Staff are also working on ways to make the data room more user-friendly, so those two items are in process,” he said.
Towamencin’s supervisors next meet at 7:30 p.m. on Sept. 22 at the township administration building, 1090 Troxel Road. For more information visit www.Towamencin.org.