Newtown Borough has reached its sewer capacity limit, effectively placing a hold on all new construction projects requiring sewer connections.
The issue was brought to light during the Borough Council’s July 16, meeting and now presents a development hurdle for the borough and other municipalities connected to the regional Neshaminy Interceptor system.
Borough Engineer Michelle Fountain confirmed that there are currently no remaining Equivalent Dwelling Units (EDUs) available for the borough.
Existing approved projects will not be impacted.
EDUs are the measurement used to determine the sewer capacity allocated to properties. Without them, new developments cannot connect to the sewer system.
“There are certain items that have to be done with the authority in order for the Bucks County Water and Sewer Authority and DEP to release more EDUs,” Fountain said.
The confirmation came in response to resident Bernie Sauer’s question about the borough’s sewer capacity following the approval of a final land development plan at 110 North State Street.
Borough Solicitor Greg Heleniak was quick to clarify that the situation is not exclusive to Newtown Borough.
“This is wider than Newtown Borough because it’s a large issue for all the municipalities that connect to what’s called the Neshaminy Interceptor, which is managed by Bucks County Water and Sewer Authority,” Heleniak explained during the meeting.
The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), working with the Bucks County Water and Sewer Authority (BCWSA), has placed restrictions on the release of new EDUs, Fountain said.
The restrictions stem from the requirements outlined in the Connection Management Plan and the Connection Action Plan, regional infrastructure plans meant to ensure long-term sustainability of wastewater treatment systems. Until these plans’ conditions are met, no new EDUs will be made available, according to Fountain.
For Newtown Borough, the impact is immediate.
While previously approved projects, like the development at 110 North State Street, can proceed with the EDUs they’ve already secured, but any revisions to those plans requiring more EDUs would need further approvals from DEP.
“Before a plan is approved or as a condition of approval, one of those conditions is that they have to receive an approved planning module from the Department of Environmental Protection,” Fountain said.
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The 110 North State Street project, which is dubbed Patriot Place, used the final EDUs available in the borough.
This project involves demolishing an existing two-story dwelling and creating three new parcels for development.
During the meeting, Sauer also asked whether the shortage was linked to a proposed sewer treatment plant on the Newtown Bypass. Borough officials clarified that the two issues were not connected.
“That’s a different thing,” she said. “This is specifically about the Connection Management Plan requirements and the infrastructure that’s already in place.”
The Neshaminy Interceptor serves numerous municipalities, and resolving capacity issues will require coordination between local governments, the Bucks County Water and Sewer Authority, and state.
Council made clear that this is not a problem the borough can solve independently. “It’s not like we can go and build our own plant and fix this,” one council member noted. “This is about system-wide constraints and state-imposed restrictions.”
Residents and developers with questions about specific projects are encouraged to contact the borough’s engineering department.
Fountain said evaluations will be conducted on a case-by-case basis, but repeated that without available EDUs, even approvals for existing developments cannot be revised unless more capacity is released.
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