Mt. Lebanon And Baldwin Residents Have 'Had It Up To Here' With Floods

Some Mt. Lebanon and Baldwin Township homeowners are losing patience over sewage and storm water flooding after heavy storms, which is costing them thousands to repair when their homeowners' insurance doesn't cover the bill.

On July 13, all seven homes on Queensboro Avenue in Baldwin flooded.

"My brand new Nissan in the garage was totaled. The basement was completely flooded," Tracy DeSocio said. She told Mt. Lebanon commissioners Monday night the problem worsened after the township approved a senior independent living complex in her neighborhood.

Link: www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/pittsburgh/s_692406.html

ALCOSAN Meets To Discuss Sewer Problems

It is going to cost a lot of money to fix the region's antiquated sewer systems, Allegheny County Sanitary Authority officials told residents who attended a recent regional wet weather planning meeting. "It's going to be very expensive...several billion," said Glenda Murphy, one of several consultants contracted by ALCOSAN to work on the project.

Approximately a dozen residents and community officials attended the meeting held at the Mt. Lebanon Community Center. The meeting was the second in a series of public meetings the authority is holding to discuss the sewage overflow issue and its impact.

Link: www.thealmanac.net/ALM/Story/11-25-2009-South-Hills-ALCOSAN

Audit Says Allegheny County Sewer Fixes Could Cost $21 Billion

NOTE: Mt. Lebanon is one of 83 communities served by Alcosan, so this possible rate increase will affect us.

An audit of the Allegheny County Sanitary Authority released this morning estimates the authority might need as much as $21 billion to comply with a federal order to upgrade its storm water and sewer management system.

Allegheny County Controller Michael Patrick Flaherty and city of Pittsburgh Controller Michael Lamb said their review of Alcosan -- from January 2007 to July 2008 -- shows the authority will face a huge funding hurdle in the next 15 to 20 years.

"We want people to be aware of this now," said Mr. Lamb. He and Mr. Flaherty revealed that the authority's funding troubles may lead to as much as a $3,104 annual rate increase for ratepayers in the Alcosan system if the authority doesn't receive any outside funding to help pay for its system-wide upgrade, slated to start in about five years.