Cheltenham’s $80 Million Sewer Project Forces Homeowners to Pitch In

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Cheltenham Village

A new sewer system is inevitable for Cheltenham Township, but the potential cost for many of its homeowners is causing a stir in the community, writes Brian McCrone for NBC Philadelphia.

The township is about to start a 10-year sewer improvement project, which will cost an estimated $80 million. However, that does not cover the amount property owners may be forced to pay to install new sewer line laterals, the pipe that joins homes to the municipal sewer system.

According to Township Manager Bryan Havir, the number of property owners who will need to replace their laterals at a cost of up to $10,000 depending on the size of the lot, will only be known when inspectors start going door-to-door later in the year.

Furthermore, it will take seven to eight years to finish the inspection of all 15,000 parcels in the township.

The Montgomery County town is only a part of a potential $30 billion infrastructure problem for the state.

Democratic State Representative Steve McCarter said that other inner-rim suburbs are faced with similarly dire situations.

“Nobody wants to talk about what’s underground and out of sight,” said McCarter. “But it’s going to cause a lot of consternation and disruption.”

Homeowners in Cheltenham have taken their issues to Facebook in recent weeks in the hopes that a solution to alleviate the huge personal cost can be found.

Read more about the issue at NBC Philadelphia clicking here.

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