Sewer Leak in Vera Cruz Stinks

Vera Cruz sewer system failure on Main Road East on Nov. 26 that caused an undetermined amount of raw sewage to spill into Leibert Creek exposed more than a broken pipe.

So much stinks about a Nov. 26 leak in the new Vera Cruz sewer system that it’s hard to know where to begin -- based on comments by Upper Milford residents and a township supervisor Thursday night. But the roomful of residents who came to the supervisors meeting to discuss the recent failure of the new sewer system did their best to share their concerns about the situation and how it was handled. Phil Casey, a regular at spervisors meetings who frequently addresses the board, got the ball rolling by describing what he saw on Main Road East in the early afternoon of Sunday, Nov. 26. According to Casey, the amount of raw sewage spreading across Main Road East near Mystic Chain Park was well more than the 5 gallons per minute claimed by the …

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From the Editor's Desk

Raw Sewage Spills Into Leibert Creek

The failure of a part known as a 'curb stop' may be the cause of a leak in the new Vera Cruz Sewer System along Main Road East that caused raw sewage to spill into Leibert Creek Sunday night.

Main Road East near Mystic Chain Park in my opinion is normally one of the more picturesque areas of Main Road East…it’s quite close to the section of Vera Cruz that I have been known to jokingly refer to as Emmaus Patch HQ and a stone’s throw from the place that my family and I call home. On Sunday night, that area of Main Road earned the dubious distinction of being the first (and hopefully only) failure within the Vera Cruz Sewer Project. Had you been driving through the area Sunday night as Patch columnist Jenae Holtzhafer had been, you would have been treated to all the sights and sounds one would expect from a sewer leak. Jenae and her husband were picking up their kids from their grandparents' house on Main Road East (small world) …

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FriendsLMT

12:54 pm on Tuesday, November 27, 2012

It doesnt look like the Mcall has picked up on this yet....   more ›

Upper Milford Supervisor Receives First Sewer Bill

Upper Milford Township Supervisor George DeVault reports, at the Board of Supervisor's Sept. 20 meeting, that he received his first sewer bill since hooking his home up to the Vera Cruz Sewer Project.

When it came time for the supervisors to deliver their individual reports at the Upper Milford Township Board of Supervisors' Sept. 20 meeting, George DeVault began with a personal digression of sorts. "We got our first sewer bill today, and it looks like it's going to be $34 per month," DeVault shared with those assembled. "But, that's my problem and I guess we will just have to work around that." There are fewer that 30 properties of the original 250-plus homes and commercial properties in the Vera Cruz Sewer project that have yet to connect.

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Board of Supervisors Says ‘No’ to Sewer Project Exemption

The Upper Milford Board of Supervisors voted at its July 5 meeting to deny Ralph Christman’s request to opt out of the Vera Cruz Sewer Project.

For Ralph Christman, it seems two strikes means he’s out. At least as far as his recent request to opt out of the Vera Cruz Sewer Project is concerned. In a 2-0 vote Thursday night, the Upper Milford Board of Supervisors denied Christman’s request for an exemption from the ongoing Vera Cruz Sewer Project. Supervisor George DeVault abstained from the decision. Before making the motion to deny Christman’s exemption, Supervisor Robert Sentner said: “Whether we like it or not, we need to abide by the ordinance that we set. I feel for you Mr. Christman, I really do, but our hands are kind of tied.” Supervisors’ Chair Daniel Mohr said: “I only wish he had come in at the beginning. (With the project already underway) there are people who would …

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Carl Stevenson

7:48 pm on Tuesday, July 10, 2012

I'm surprised they didn't put water lines in with the sewer. Now they'll have to tear up the roads again to put in water when they decide they meet to fluoridate us to make us mor passive and complianit subjects .... But what do they care? After all, they'll just make us pay for that, too. (Guess again, I have 12 acres with a good well, a perfectly fine septic system, and I will NOT hook up to …   more ›

Supervisors Table Decision on Vera Cruz Sewer Exemption

Ralph Christman, of 3311 Main Road East, is told to come back to the Upper Milford Board of Supervisors July 5 meeting for an answer on his request to opt out of the Vera Cruz sewer project.

At this point, no news is good news for Ralph Christman. The Vera Cruz man recently asked the Upper Milford Board of Supervisors to let him opt out of the ongoing Vera Cruz Sewer Project. He came to last night’s Supervisor’s meeting hoping for the board's response to his request. However, with only two of the three Upper Milford Supervisors in attendance last night, Christman’s appeal was tabled until the July 5 meeting when the entire board could be part of the decision. Supervisors’ Chair Daniel Mohr was absent last night. Supervisor Robert Sentner, who was running the meeting on Mohr’s behalf, said: “I think we should wait until Dan comes back. It’s not fair for only two of us to vote.” Christman, 3311 Main Road East, approached the …

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Jennifer Marangos

8:04 am on Monday, July 9, 2012

Thanks for asking Sue. Look for an article on the site tomorrow about what the supervisors decided and why.   more ›

Vera Cruz man Seeks Sewer Project Exemption

Ralph Christman, of Main Road East, asks Upper Milford Board of Supervisors at last week’s meeting, if he can opt out of Vera Cruz Sewer Project.

A Vera Cruz man came before the Upper Milford Board of Supervisors at the June 7 supervisors’ meeting to ask the board to allow him to opt out of the ongoing Vera Cruz Sewer Project. Ralph Christman, of Main Road East, approached the board to request the exemption because his house sits more than 500 feet from the road and his 11-acre property has a fully functional and relatively new sand mound – a system Christman reminded the supervisors that the township had mandated that he install. In order to connect to the sewer, Christman said, he would need to dig under a lengthy, paved driveway, which translates into a significant expense. “One shoe, one glove doesn’t fit everybody,” Christman said. “It seems like common sense should prevail …

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Vera Cruz Sewer Project Reaches Milestone Area III

Vera Cruz residents who live in the third phase of the Vera Cruz Sewer project received “hook-up” letters from the Lehigh County Authority this week.

When it came time for an update on the Vera Cruz Sewer Project at last night’s Upper Milford Township Board of Supervisor’s meeting, Supervisor George DeVault chimed in with a first-hand report. DeVault, who lives in Milestone Area III, confirmed that homeowners in area III had received certified letters from the Lehigh County Authority earlier in the week, which basically said “you have until July 13 to hook up or else.” Plus, DeVault said, grinder pumps have been delivered and can be seen in everyone’s backyards. Then, Upper Milford Township Manager Dan DeLong shared an update on the other milestone areas with the board: “We had a spell of bad weather and that slowed things down some,” DeLong said, adding that the weather may have also …

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