About

The North Huntingdon Township Municipal Authority  was created in 1969 by the township under the Municipal Authorities Act of 1945 for the purpose of providing and maintaining a sanitary sewer collection, conveyance, and treatment system for North Huntingdon Township and surrounding communities.

Overview

NHTMA provides sanitary sewer service to over 11,300 customers in North Huntingdon Township and small portions of its bordering communities. The system includes 225 miles of collection sewers, 11 pump stations, and the Youghiogheny Treatment Plant facility located on Turner Valley Road. The Youghiogheny plant treats sewage from approximately one-half of our customers. Sewage from the remaining half is treated at the Brush Creek Water Pollution Control Plant owned by the Western Westmoreland Municipal Authority (WWMA), which is located on Route 993 in the Township.

NHTMA has 22 full-time employees – 17 who work throughout the system, and 6 located in the Administrative Office on the second floor of the Town House. Regular monthly meetings are held on the first Wednesday of each month beginning at 6:30 PM in the main meeting room at the Town House. The public is encouraged to attend and address the Board on any issue of concern.

Also please see our "Frequently Asked Questions".

Upcoming Challenges

NHTMA’s biggest challenge today, and into the foreseeable future, is the need to remove the inflow and infiltration (I&I) of storm water into the sanitary sewer system. The sanitary sewer system was designed to carry a specific volume of sewerage flow. Deteriorating public lines, manholes, and private laterals, and illegal connections permit storm water to overload the system during certain wet weather conditions. These overloads can result in basement flooding, pump station bypasses, and ultimately could require additional retention tanks, or a plant expansion, both of which are costly solutions.

Rather than allocate funds to build additional retention, the Authority is exploring other methods of removing I&I. The Authority conducts dye tests and televised lateral inspections prior to the sale or refinancing of a home or business to determine if storm water is tied into the system via roof drains, driveway drains, stairwells, or other sources.

NHTMA revised its construction specifications to require a 6” inspection tee on the private lateral for all new construction, plus additional testing. The purpose of the tee and extra testing is to determine if foundation drains are connected into the sanitary sewer system. The Authority is also in the preliminary stages of a pilot project designed to determine the impact of inspecting and repairing private laterals. Studies have shown that illegal foundation drains and deteriorating private laterals are a significant source of I&I.

The Authority also requires developers to install water-tight manhole inserts in all manholes within a new development, as well as sealed manholes within the roadway.