Facilities

The Lackawanna River Basin Sewer Authority (LRBSA) was incorporated in 1969 to provide essential wastewater conveyance and treatment services to communities throughout the Lackawanna Valley. LRBSA’s three sewage treatment plants are connected by approximately 21 miles of interceptor lines running along the Lackawanna River. Additionally, LRBSA operates nine wastewater pumping stations and maintains an extensive network of over 50 miles of collection lines. The municipalities we serve manage their own collection systems, which seamlessly connect to LRBSA’s interceptors. Some of these municipal systems include combined sewers that collect both stormwater runoff and sanitary sewage from homes and businesses—a legacy infrastructure predating our Authority’s formation.

The Clinton Township wastewater treatment plant, located in Wayne County, utilizes the extended aeration activated sludge process for efficient wastewater treatment. This system includes key components such as a vortex grit chamber, grit classifier, mechanical bar screen, two raw sewage lift pumps, four aeration tanks, two secondary clarifiers, two chlorine contact tanks, and an aerated sludge holding tank.

With a permitted treatment capacity of 0.7 million gallons per day (MGD), the Clinton plant plays a vital role in serving the following communities:

• • Forest City Borough
  • Vandling Borough
  • Village of Browndale (Clinton Township)
  • Village of Richmondale (Fell Township)

The Archbald wastewater treatment facility operates an activated sludge system utilizing the Sequencing Batch Reactor (SBR) process. This advanced treatment system includes two mechanical bar screens, two vortex grit chambers, two grit classifiers, two raw sewage lift pumps, and eight sequencing batch reactors. Additionally, the facility features an ultra-violet disinfection channel, a sludge thickener with polymer coagulation, two aerobic digesters, and a belt filter press for efficient processing and dewatering.

With a permitted capacity of 6.0 million gallons per day (MGD), the Archbald plant serves several communities, including:

• • Carbondale City
  • Carbondale Township
  • Fell Township
  • Jermyn Borough
  • Mayfield Borough
  • Scott Township
  • A portion of Archbald Borough

The Throop wastewater treatment plant utilizes a conventional activated sludge system configured with a 4-stage Bardenpho process for biological nutrient removal. The treatment process includes three mechanical bar screens, two vortex grit chambers, two grit classifiers, and four raw sewage lift pumps. Wastewater flows through four anoxic tanks, four aeration tanks, and four anoxic/oxic swing tanks, followed by four secondary clarifiers. The facility also features two chlorine contact tanks and individual chemical feed systems for secondary clarifier polymer, magnesium hydroxide, ferric chloride, supplemental carbon, sodium hypochlorite, and sodium bisulfite. For solids handling, the plant employs a gravity belt thickener with polymer coagulation, two anaerobic digesters, and a belt filter press.

With a permitted capacity of 10.0 million gallons per day (MGD), the Throop treatment plant serves the following communities:

• • Archbald Borough
  • Blakely Borough
  • Dickson City Borough
  • Jefferson Township
  • Jessup Borough
  • Olyphant Borough
  • Throop Borough

The administrative offices of the Lackawanna River Basin Sewer Authority (LRBSA) are located at the Throop Plant.

In addition to the active treatment plants, the LRBSA previously operated a fourth facility in the Borough of Moosic. This facility was closed in 2001, and its wastewater flow was redirected to the neighboring Lower Lackawanna Valley Sanitary Authority for treatment. However, the LRBSA continues to manage the interceptor system and two pumping stations within the former Moosic plant’s service area.