What Projects Are Underway For The Warminster Municipal Authority This Year?

WARMINSTER, PA — The first three locations for FEMA work following Hurricane Ida have been completed by the Warminster Municipal Authority.

The agency updated the Warminster Township Board of Supervisors at a recent meeting about its 2025 capital projects and recapped what it has accomplished since it appeared before the board last June.

The FEMA work was completed on Decker Lane, Cloverly Road, and Ivyland/Roberts Road. Permits are being sought for work at more locations, officials said.

The agency was awarded $1.8 million to make the upgrades from the 2021 storm.

In their presentation, General Manager Timothy Hagey and Assistant Manager Daulton George also said that 150 storm drains were replaced for the township's paving project. Meanwhile, 3,000 linear feet of pipe were replaced, and the agency handled 350 work orders a year, including making sure that 70-80 drains were unclogged.

Also, the agency successfully televised nearly 100,000 feet of pipe, which is crucial for long-term planning and maintenance of the community's stormwater system.

Meanwhile, 80 trees were planted last year to help stormwater management as part of tree planting and stream cleanups, where community members can volunteer to earn a 15 percent stormwater fee credit for each event, potentially totaling a 30 percent credit annually.

The WMA also stressed the importance of infrastructure inspections in ongoing efforts to maintain and improve local stormwater management systems, including the cleaning and replacement of about 50,000 feet of pipe, some of which may be immediately replaced if found to be failing due to erosion.

Two big projects this year include:

• A $1.6 million Tennison Basin retrofit, emphasizing the financial planning needed to tackle these essential jobs effectively. The agency is collaborating with Archbishop Wood to enhance a crucial stormwater basin that manages water flow in the area, particularly affecting neighborhoods along Spencer and Fiser streets. There are plans to utilize advanced techniques such as pipelining and inlet spray lining to upgrade the existing sanitary sewer infrastructure without extensive excavation, which is expected to prolong the lifespan of the pipes significantly.
• The Whitter Basin Project.
• FEMA sites: Acorn Drive, Arbor Lane, Centennial Road, Kemper Drive, Laurel Avenue, Lavera Road, and Manor Drive.
• Additionally, the scheduled improvements will ensure that basins are updated to meet current standards for a 100-year storm, addressing past deficiencies.
• There's a new Sewer Lateral inspection program intended to ensure that private sewer laterals are inspected during property sales. Many sewer laterals are around 50 years old. The authority plans to implement a system where master plumbers will evaluate and enforce repairs or replacements when homes are sold, aiming to reduce groundwater infiltration that overwhelms wastewater treatment facilities during heavy rains. The recently secured grant funds will aid in upgrading stormwater basins to manage increased rainfall events.

The agency is also proactive with its approach to leak detection and the regular maintenance of sewer lines.

Officials said the use of advanced media boosts bacterial growth in treatment tanks, which separates good and bacteria using cyclone equipment.

Residents benefited from reduced water usage rates due to municipal ownership compared to utility rates for neighboring areas.

The average monthly Aqua wastewater rate is $103.98 compared to $40.30 for WMA customers. Meanwhile, Aqua charges $80.71 monthly for water while the WMA charged $36 monthly.