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Why is this project being done? |
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According to the NHTMA, the Pennsylvania Department
of Environmental Protection has mandated that both the NHTMA and
the private property homeowners address the inflow and infiltration
problem. |
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How were these 3 streets chosen? |
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According to NHTMA, Diane Merle Drive, Marbury Street, and Niagara
Drive were chosen because of their dire conditions. The NHTMA
supervisor told homeowners that Diane Merle Drive was considered
the worst condition in our plan - Mark Vue Manor. But many asked
how could Diane Merle Drive, which was built in the early 1970's,
be in worse condition than the many other older streets in North
Huntingdon built earlier in the 1950's and 1960's. |
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Why does terra cotta pipe need replaced? |
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According to the NHTMA, all terra cotta pipes must be replaced
with newer PVC pipe. High quality terra cotta pipe with neoprene
O-rings was used on Diane Merle Drive in the 1970's. The terra
cotta laterals tested were found to have a failure rate of 95%.
Only 1 out of 20 passed! Consideration by the NHTMA was given
to ordering all terra cotta laterals to be replaced without inspections,
but it was decided that it would be proper to video test them.
Homeowners are demanding to see where this regulation specifying
the replacement of terra cotta pipes. Multiple searches on the
Internet could not find one single reference to this regulation
that terra cotta pipe needs replaced by any government agency.
If all terra cotta pipe needs replaced in the North Huntingdon,
the costs will be in the millions of dollars for both the NHTMA
ratepayers and the homeowners. Higher monthly bills from the NHTMA
are coming. |
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Why wasn't the new sewer line placed in the roadway? |
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Homeowners were told that the new sewer was not placed in the
road because of the cost of using stone that would have added
between $15,000 to $20,000 to the project. But how much did it
cost to restore private properties that had been manicured by
their owners for over 30 years? And what about all the anxiety
and stress these homeowners had endured as they witnessed their
homes being assaulted on a daily basis? Great customer service! |
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Why were other homes connected to this new sewer line
not video tested? |
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This question has not been answered by the NHTMA to the satisfaction
of homeowners. Many have questioned if other connected homes could
not also be a major contributor to the infiltration problem. The
NHTMA said they do not have funding for these additional homes,
but homeowners cannot understand why inexpensive lateral tests
have not yet been performed by the NHTMA. Especially since the
NHTMA recently purchased a specially equipped truck with video
cameras (Over $100,000) for this specific purpose. Homeowners
will continue to press for a better answer on this issue until
satisfied. |
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How are private lateral connections tested? |
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The NHTMA conducted video inspections of the private property
laterals rather than using low cost smoke testing. The NHTMA recently
purchased a specialized truck for over $100,000 with sophisticated
video equipment that performs video inspections by two NHTMA employees.
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Could a homeowner secure a certified plumber's opinion? |
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Yes. But only the NHHTMA supervisor and the KLH engineer could
make the final decision. Some homeowners had paid certified plumbers
to inspect their laterals in advance and were told they passed.
But these homeowners later were told by the NHTMA that their laterals
had failed. |
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Was homeowners notified and present during testing? |
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Some people were notified of when the video tests were to take
place. But many said the appointments never happened as planned.
As a result, these homeowners could not witness this video testing.
No written consent forms were provided for by the NHTMA to the
selected homeowners. Most homeowners were not invited to witness
the testing of their private lateral connections. |
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Have all homeowners seen their failed test results? |
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No, many have not yet seen the tests. The NHTMA supervisor told
them that there were too many video tests for him to review with
his current workload. But some homeowners chose to replace their
laterals without first seeing their video tests after being told
that their laterals had failed. This was done to prevent replacement
of concrete driveways and additional property damage. |
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Are the video tests accurate? |
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No. Many homeowners questioned this procedure for accuracy and
verification. Some had asked why the laterals were not first flushed
with water to clean out debris. Others asked why these video tests
were not done during rainy conditions to see if infiltration from
storm water was happening. Homeowners were told the video tests
showed cracks in their pipes and misalignment in their terra cotta
connections. They asked if it could be determined by video testing
if these cracks were surface cracks only or manufacturing imperfections,
rather than breaks through the entire pipe surface. One homeowner
who was told his lateral had failed performed a water test and
found that the water level remained constant for over 30 minutes,
proving there was no water loss through his lateral. |
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Why would a homeowner replace his lateral before seeing
the failed video test? |
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Many homeowners did not want to have their private property
damaged a second time after the NHTMA had restored it. Others
had been told that their laterals were under concrete driveways
and decided to reroute their laterals to minimize damage to expensive
concrete. One homeowner was forced to hire a contractor to relocate
his lateral connection with less than 12 hours notice or have
to tear up his concrete driveway where the current lateral ran
underneath. |
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Can the NHTMA's claim that laterals contribute to 80%
of the infiltration problem be proven? |
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Some homeowners had asked the NHTMA superintendent and KLH engineer
to show where this figure comes from in writing. They had been
told that it was found in industry publication but no documents
have been provided to placate the homeowners concerns. |
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What has it cost to replace laterals? |
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The costs so far have been from $3,200 up to $5,200. One homeowner
was told the cost to replace his lateral would exceed $8,000.
A good rule of thumb is to estimate the costs of replacement at
$100 per foot. The newer method of correcting laterals with C.I.P.P
lining cost about $1,000 more than the conventional excavating
choice. |
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How does the Community Development Block Grant Program
work? |
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NHTMA was approved to offer homeowners the opportunity to apply
for CDBG grants. The homeowner can apply for this type of grant
based on low-income qualifications. If the homeowner receives
this grant, he or she must use the same contractor as all others
who received the grant. One cannot chose their contractor because
of the government's low bid rules. |
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Did the NHTMA investigate ways to financially assist
homeowners? |
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Yes. The NHTMA investigated how some other municipalities help
homeowners with their expensive lateral replacements. Some municipalities
pay up to 80% or $3,000 for private property lateral replacements
with an additional fee for all customers. But it was decided that
other NHTMA homeowners who recently moved here would object to
help paying for the lateral connections of others established
residents through increased fees. |
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Did NHTMA tell homeowners a lien would be placed on
their home if they refused to replace a failed lateral? |
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Yes. But when the NHTMA solicitor was asked in a public meeting,
he stated that a lien would only be exercised under extreme circumstances.
The NHTMA refused to remove this lien wording from their printed
information given to homeowners. Many retirees, seniors, and single
income families are afraid of the possibility of a lien being
placed on their property. |
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Were some homeowners told by the NHTMA that this project
was done on Diane Merle Drive so their insurance carrier would
not refuse to settle another claim on this street? |
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Yes. The NHTMA has denied this statement being made but some
homeowners claim to have been told this by NHTMA personnel. |
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Could some homeowners’ trees have contributed
to the problems? |
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Some homeowners believe that trees planted on certain private
properties may have caused this initial problem to happen years
ago. Talk has circulated that a few years ago tree roots cracked
the main sewer line resulting in the one homeowner suing and winning
a legal case against the NHTMA. Many are upset that these trees
are still standing and could once again contribute to future problems
even for those without the trees on their private properties. |
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Is this project coming to all of NHTMA customers? |
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Yes. All homeowners in North Huntingdon Township will have their
private laterals tested by the NHTMA in the future as these current
projects. The NHTMA has stated that homeowners will not be able
to sell their homes unless the NHTMA first inspects their sewer
laterals. |
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Will this impact the sale of my home? |
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Yes. All homes now sold connected to NHTMA lines will have to
have their private laterals tested. If these homes fail the tests,
then the homes cannot change parties without this first being
resolved. |
| Note: The following questions
listed here were asked by many homeowners from Diane Merle Drive. |
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