Some Washington Township residents could get hit with stormwater fees

Washington Township supervisors expanded the powers of the Municipal Authority of Washington Township to handle stormwater projects.

While the authority has jurisdiction over sewage issues, supervisors voted unanimously last week to allow the authority to also deal with stormwater projects.

The township is making the change as part of an effort to comply with state and federal environmental requirements to decrease pollution into local waterways.

Washington Township’s focus is on decreasing the amount of silt entering local streams and taking over jurisdiction of stormwater drainage ponds for developments in the township.

Proposed stormwater detention ponds for future development will be reviewed for possible ownership and maintenance by the township.

Residents in those new developments will likely pay a small stormwater fee instead of spreading the cost to the rest of the township’s residents, according to Supervisors Chairman Rich Gardner.

Such ponds can have maintenance issues. For example, in Murrysville, authorities are working on ponds to slow the release of stormwater into the environment.

Other stormwater retention ponds in the township will remain privately owned for the time being.

The state Department of Environmental Protection is requiring Washington Township and other municipalities with a separate storm sewer system to develop a plan to reduce pollution in state waters.