Act 537 Plan Special Study

ARRO prepared an Act 537 Plan Special Study for Bethlehem Township (Township) and the Bethlehem Township Municipal Authority (Authority) at the request of the Authority and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP) in accordance with Act 537 entitled the Pennsylvania Sewage Facilities Act, Title 25, Chapter 71 of the Pennsylvania Code and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection Act 537 Plan Content and Environmental Assessment Checklist.  This Plan addressed the planning and management requirement necessary for the Township to extend public sanitary sewer service to meet the needs of existing and proposed development in an area bounded by and adjacent to Green Pond Road, Church Road, Country Club Road, and Farmersville Road.

The Plan is comprised of the following components addressed in the Plan of Study:

1. Previous Wastewater Planning
2. Physical and Demographic Analysis
3. Existing Sewage Facilities in the Planning Area
4. Future Growth and Development
5. Alternatives to Provide for New or Improved Wastewater Disposal Facilities
6. Evaluation of Alternatives
7. Institutional Evaluation
8. Selected Wastewater Treatment and Institutional Alternative

The primary focus of the Plan was to address the future wastewater flow needs, evaluate alternatives to provide public sewer service to existing residential properties, to planned residential properties, and to planned commercial properties.

Within the planning area, public sewer service is planned for:

• Mill Creek Corporate Center – 186 EDUs (46,500 gpd)
• Traditions of America – 235 EDUs (58,750 gpd)
• Existing Properties (Green Pond Road/Church Road/Country Club Road) – 63 EDUs (15,750 gpd)

To meet the projected wastewater disposal needs of the planning area, it was proposed that the Authority implement the following additions to their collection and conveyance system.  These additions are:

1. Construct a regional pump station to serve a portion of the Traditions of America (TOA) development, to serve existing (PS11) properties currently using on-lot disposal systems, and to serve the Mill Creek Corporate Center.
2. Construct gravity sewer main and force main to convey the collected wastewater from existing properties, the Mill Creek Corporate Center and TOA, to the regional pump station and to connect the system to the existing collection/conveyance system.