The Authority of the Borough of Charleroi – Sewage Department

The Sewage Department at the Authority, Staff, Management and Engineering continue to work to eliminate the problem of Combined Sewer Overflows (CSO), “Combined” meaning both sanitary and storm water together. This system was originally designed and constructed through the ‘50s to convey both sanitary sewage and storm runoff together. In 1972, the United States EPA implemented programs under the “Clean Water Act” to monitor and control CSOs since that time. Because portions of the sewer systems that convey sewage to the Authority for treatment are combined systems, or behave as a combined sewer system, during periods of rainfall and snow-melt, runoff flow in the sewers increases and the excess is diverted to a combined sewer overflow that discharges into the river, including a portion of sanitary sewage flow that is untreated. These discharges are monitored and reported to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.