Water dept. taps NE
site for sewage spot

By William Kenny
Times Staff Writer

The Philadelphia Water Department has selected a Northeast Philadelphia site for a planned multi-million-gallon sewage storage facility.
City-owned land near Stevenson Lane and Hegerman Street, adjacent to the Holy Family University and Nazareth Academy sites, will house the underground tank, a PWD spokeswoman told the Northeast Times last week.
The department had been considering two other local sites for the project, including Fluehr Park, which is about a quarter-mile south, and a spot near Frankford Avenue and Knights Road, about a quarter-mile north of the chosen location.
News of the selection follows months of speculation by residents of neighboring communities, including members of the East Torresdale Civic Association, who were immediately wary of the project upon learning of it last year.
Residents feared that the storage facility, though underground, would bring an undesirable smell to the area. East Torresdale residents have adamantly opposed using Fluehr Park, an open mostly "passive" space commonly used by joggers and walkers and dog-walkers.
It remains to be seen how the facility might impact the aforementioned educational institutions. The site was selected for engineering reasons, according to Laura Copeland, the PWD spokeswoman.
"We have chosen a site for hydraulic efficiencies and construction feasibility," Copeland said.
The location also borders the Poquessing Creek.
The project is expected to take two to three years in design and another two years for construction, Copeland added.
According to City Councilman Brian O’Neill, whose district includes the selected site, the project area already has a problem with sewage backing up during heavy storms.
The facility, which is expected to have a capacity of around 4 million gallons, is to serve as a temporary holding site for sewage when the existing sewers are filled to capacity during heavy rains. The overflow tank will drain itself when the load lightens. The water department operates a waste water treatment plant at State Road and Pennypack Street.
At the monthly general meeting of the East Torresdale Civic Association on Feb. 12, neighbors reported seeing sewer- or water main-related work being done along State Road between Grant and Linden avenues. Speculation was that the sewer tank project was already under way and that nearby Fluehr Park had been chosen without community notification. The State Road work was unrelated to the sewage tank project, Copeland said. Last year, the spokeswoman said that water department officials would meet with affected community members after selecting a site.
It is believed that the facility would serve Philadelphia’s sewer system, as well as those in bordering communities of Bucks and Montgomery counties.
Last year, one East Torresdale Civic member reported that water department officials told him that the project has been mandated by state and federal environmental officials because current capacity on the sewer is too small. ••
Reporter William Kenny can be reached at 215-354-3031 or bkenny@phillynews.com