About Us
The Lackawanna River Basin Sewer Authority is a political corporate body organized in July 1966 by the County Commissioners of Lackawanna County under the Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Act of 1945 (the “Act”), as amended. The Authority’s current term of existence, as established by its amended Articles of Incorporation, extends until May 2059. The Board of the Authority consists of nine (9) members appointed by the County Commissioners for five (5) year terms that are staggered so that either one (1) or two (2) Authority members are appointed each year. The LRBSA is managed by a full-time staff under the supervision of an Executive Director.
Under the Act, the LRBSA is empowered to acquire, construct, improve, maintain operate and lease (as lessor or lessee), sewer systems and treatment facilities within its service area.
The LRBSA has entered into separate service agreements with each of the seventeen (17) municipalities that it serves pursuant to which the Authority has undertaken to provide sewage conveyance and treatment services.
The service agreements with the original fifteen (15) municipalities served by the LRBSA since its incorporation are of uniform form for each municipality. Separate agreements to provide sewage treatment service were executed with Jefferson Township in September 2002 and Scott Township in 2004, as described below.
The seventeen (17) participating municipalities served by the LRBSA are as follows:
- Archbald Borough
- Blakely Borough
- Carbondale City
- Carbondale Township
- Clinton Twp. (Browndale)
- Dickson City Borough
- Fell Township
- Forest City Borough
- Jefferson Township
- Jermyn Borough
- Jessup Borough
- Mayfield Borough
- Moosic Borough
- Olyphant Borough
- Scott Township
- Throop Borough
- Vandling Borough
The Borough of Forest City is located in Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania. Clinton Township is located in Wayne County, Pennsylvania. The fifteen (15) other municipalities are located in Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania.
In November 1985, the LRBSA entered into an agreement with the Scranton Sewer Authority and the Lackawanna County Commissioners regarding sewer service to the Montage Sewer District located in Moosic Borough. Per the terms of the agreement, the Scranton Sewer Authority agreed to provide sewage treatment service to customers within the Montage Sewer District. The LRBSA agreed to operate and maintain the county-owned sewage collection and conveyance facilities within the district. The Montage Service Agreement was updated in July 2003 and included the addition of Moosic Borough and the City of Scranton as signatories. The new agreement updated the service area and amended the procedures for billing customers within the Montage Sewer District. In December 2016, the Scranton Sewer Authority’s interest in the Montage Service Agreement was assigned to Pennsylvania-American Water Company due to the sale of the Scranton Sewer Authority’s assets to Pennsylvania-American. As of December 31, 2020, there were 282 accounts served under this agreement.
In June 1989, the LRBSA entered into a service agreement (the “Siniawa Agreement”) with the Scranton Sewer Authority, Dickson City Borough and developer, Siniawa Enterprises, in which the Scranton Sewer Authority agreed to provide wastewater treatment services for development along a section of PA Business Route 6 located in Dickson City Borough from approximately the 1100 block of the Business Route 6 (“Scranton-Carbondale Highway”) to the municipal boundary with the City of Scranton. In October 2016, the Scranton Sewer Authority’s interest in the Siniawa Agreement was assigned to Pennsylvania-American Water Company due to the sale of the Scranton Sewer Authority’s assets to Pennsylvania-American. As of December 31, 2020, there were 58 primarily commercial customers being served under this agreement.
In October 1999, the LRBSA entered into a service agreement with the Lower Lackawanna Valley Sanitary Authority (the “LLVSA”) and Moosic Borough whereby the LLVSA agreed to provide sewage treatment services for LRBSA customers located in Moosic Borough, who had heretofore been provided sewage treatment at the LRBSA’s Moosic wastewater treatment plant. This service agreement allowed the LRBSA to remove the Moosic wastewater treatment plant from service. There are approximately 2108 customers located in Moosic Borough and served by the LLVSA as of December 31, 2020.
In September 2002, the LRBSA entered into a service agreement with Jefferson Township, Lackawanna County and the Jefferson Township Sewer Authority. The LRBSA agreed to provide wastewater treatment service for an initial 897 units in Jefferson Township. Wastewater is conveyed to and treated at the LRBSA’s Throop wastewater treatment plant. Connection of these customers was completed in 2005. As of December 31, 2020, there were 1,255 units from Jefferson Township being billed by the LRBSA for wastewater services.
In May 2004, the LRBSA entered into a service agreement with Scott Township, Lackawanna County and the Scott Township Sewer and Water Authority. The LRBSA agreed to provide wastewater treatment service for 1,350 units in Scott Township upon completion of construction of a new municipal sewer collection system by the township, which occurred in 2011. Wastewater from Scott Township is conveyed to and treated at the LRBSA’s Archbald wastewater treatment plant. Connection of users to the sewer system began in late 2011 and continued into 2012. Quarterly billing of Scott Township for sewage treatment services began in 2012. As of December 31, 2020, there were 1,415 units plus one(1) metered industrial user being billed for this service.
In April 2008, the LRBSA entered into a service agreement with the Scranton Sewer Authority, Lower Lackawanna Valley Sanitary Authority (the “LLVSA”) and Moosic Borough. Per the terms of this agreement, the wastewater flow generated by a number of customers in the vicinity of Corey Street in Moosic Borough and who were previously connected to the Moosic Borough sewer collection system, was diverted and connected to the Scranton Sewer Authority’s collection and treatment systems. Primarily impacting customers located within the City of Scranton, this diversion was subsequently undertaken and completed. In November 2016, the Scranton Sewer Authority’s interest in the Corey Street Agreement was assigned to Pennsylvania-American Water Company due to the sale of the Scranton Sewer Authority’s assets to Pennsylvania-American.
The LRBSA operates and maintains a wastewater system within its service area that includes:
- Three (3) wastewater treatment plants (Clinton Township, Throop and Archbald)
- Nine (9) wastewater pumping stations
- 21 miles of interceptor sewers
- 50 miles of collector sewers
The LRBSA receives no financial support from Lackawanna County and has no taxing power. The LRBSA derives all monies necessary to meet its operating and debt service obligations from sewer use fees and related operational revenues.
