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Pennsylvania House of Representatives
05/02/2024 12:30 AM
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/Legis/CSM/showMemoPublic.cfm?chamber=H&SPick=20230&cosponId=41755
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House of Representatives
Session of 2023 - 2024 Regular Session

MEMORANDUM

Posted: November 15, 2023 02:47 PM
From: Representative Melissa Cerrato
To: All House members
Subject: Maintenance of Private Lateral Lines and Municipal Water and Sewer Systems
 
Private lateral water and sewer lines connect a house or property to the main lines of the water and sewer system. However, when lateral lines leak, have root intrusions, or allow rainwater to infiltrate, these inefficiencies have a drastic impact on the water or sewer system. Unfortunately, their maintenance is costly, and this cost falls into the hands of homeowners. Currently in Pennsylvania, municipal authorities can ease this cost by using authority funds and workers to maintain private lateral water and sewer lines. This improves the entire system by increasing efficiency, lowering costs in the long-term, and make repairs on public lines more effective. I was recently approached by a municipal official and told that systems that are municipally owned are excluded from providing maintenance on private lateral lines. It is time we enable systems that are owned by a city, borough, or township to perform this maintenance and improve their efficiency. 
 
I will be introducing a bill to allow for municipalities to use public funds and workers to maintain and repair private sewer and water lateral lines. This bill will mirror the current authority language that is in statute. As a result, the maintenance of the water and sewer system will become more effective, long-term costs will be lower, public health will be improved, and this change will have a positive impact on all homeowners within the municipality.
 
Join me and co-sponsor this legislation to help municipally owned water and sewer systems. By being able to access public funds and workers for maintenance of sewer and water lateral lines, just as municipal authorities can currently do, municipalities will be able to improve their aging infrastructures.
 
 


Introduced as HB1903