Bucks County is taking major steps forward in its plan to sell its public sewer system to Aqua Pennsylvania for $1.1 billion — which, if approved, would be the largest privatization of a U.S. public wastewater system.
But municipal leaders are voicing opposition to the sale, and some are coordinating actions to pressure the Bucks County Commissioners to keep the system public.
“We will pursue whatever avenue we find available to us to do whatever we can to stop the sale,” said Barbara Lyons, Doylestown Township supervisor.
The Bucks County Water and Sewer Authority (BCWSA) voted 3-1 on July 13 to give Aqua the exclusive right to negotiate a sale for a year. If BCWSA approves the sale, it would mean rising sewer rates for about 75,000 households in Bucks, Montgomery, and Chester counties. After the BCWSA, the Bucks County Commissioners would have to approve the deal. The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission would then have final approval. The county also has the power to dissolve the BCWSA.
While Aqua and BCWSA have been in communication for over a year, transparency has long been a concern for residents, advocates, and municipal leaders. The sale process was behind closed doors for months until it finally became public knowledge in April. And BCWSA commissioners added an official vote on the sale negotiation to their agenda during the July 13 regular board meeting — taking many by surprise.
The Bucks County Association for Township Officials (BCATO) — which is made up of supervisors, managers, tax collectors, and auditors, and serves as a voice for Bucks County townships — released a letter on July 15 to the Bucks County Commissioners opposing the sale.
“We recognize there are benefits to privatization, but they largely exist where the water or sewer utility was not well managed or lost key staff, developed compliance issues, and became overwhelmed. This is clearly not the case here,” the letter reads.
“As elected officials representing townships across the county, the sale of BCWSA raises grave concerns. We respectfully request the Authority continue operating as an independent, non-profit agency, as intended when it was created in 1962 by the Bucks County Commissioners.”
BCATO Letter to Bucks Count… by WHYY News
BCWSA has now invited the public to two “open house” meetings to discuss the sale on Tuesday, July 26: from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Bucks County Community College, Perkasie Campus, and 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Bucks County Community College, Newtown Campus.
Local leaders say BCWSA has kept them out of the loop
BCWSA invited municipalities to a July 25 meeting with BCWSA and Aqua officials to discuss the plans. But that invitation was sent on July 19, and gave municipalities until Friday, July 22 to RSVP.
The invitation from BCWSA c… by WHYY News
To many, the process to collect community and municipal input feels rushed.
“It’s extremely disappointing that BCWSA Chair John Cordisco and his board gave township supervisors and managers four business days’ notice,” said Maggie Rash, president of BCATO and Buckingham Township supervisor.
“It’s the middle of summer, people are away,” she added. “It certainly gives one pause as to BCWSA’s interest in transparency.”