ALLENTOWN, Pa. — A more than $300 million plan aimed at upgrading wastewater infrastructure across Lehigh County Authority’s service area over the next decade is now under state review.
The Kline’s Island Sewer System, or KISS, regional wastewater plan has been approved by more than a dozen municipalities and, in early October, was sent to the state Department of Environmental Protection for approval, said Liesel M. Gross, CEO of the nonprofit water and wastewater utility.
In the works since 2007, the regional plan seeks to upgrade aging wastewater treatment infrastructure, increase capacity and solve other issues. The Kline's Island Wastewater Treatment Plant, on Union Street, saw overflows in late 2018 and early 2019.
While initial estimates called for a more than $600 million investment, the 10-year plan’s cost now sits at approximately $318 million. A five-year plan, which prioritizes the most-needed projects, has a projected price tag of $135 million.
“Bringing all viewpoints to the table to develop a regional sewer plan together was a tremendous achievement that required a lot of dedication and thoughtful discussion.”Liesel M. Gross, CEO of the Lehigh County Authority
It’s the first ever comprehensive regional sewer plan for Lehigh County.
“I am really proud of the teamwork and collaboration that occurred over the past five years among the 15 municipalities in the Kline’s Island Sewer System,” Gross said in an email.
“Bringing all viewpoints to the table to develop a regional sewer plan together was a tremendous achievement that required a lot of dedication and thoughtful discussion. We expect the teamwork to continue in the years ahead as we work to rehabilitate our aging sewer system and plan for our region’s future sewer service needs.”
15 municipalities, plus the LCA
Between late August and early October, all 15 municipalities in LCA’s service area, plus the LCA itself, passed Act 537 Plan resolutions approving the regional plan.
Act 537 plans, required by all municipalities, “provide for the resolution of existing sewage disposal problems, provide for the future sewage disposal needs of new land development, and provide for future sewage disposal needs of the municipality,” according to the DEP’s website.
In addition to the city, the LCA’s service area includes: Emmaus, Macungie, Alburtis, Coplay, Upper and Lower Macungie townships, as well as North and South Whitehall, Salisbury, Whitehall, Upper Milford, Hanover, Weisenberg and Lowhill townships.
South Whitehall was the first municipality to pass the plan in late August, while Upper Milford passed its resolution Oct. 2 — the last municipality in the service area to do so.
The plan has also been reviewed by both the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission and its environmental committee.
It was submitted on Oct. 7 to the DEP, Gross said. The agency has 120 days to review it, but can add a 60-day extension if needed.
“We expect there will be some dialogue and discussion with DEP about the plan, especially related to how new development (new connections to the system) will be managed during the time period when the various sewer projects are being completed.”Liesel M. Gross, CEO of the Lehigh County Authority
“With that in mind, we expect to hear more from [the] DEP in February or March 2026,” she said.
“We expect there will be some dialogue and discussion with DEP about the plan, especially related to how new development (new connections to the system) will be managed during the time period when the various sewer projects are being completed.”
A cost breakdown for the five-year plan included estimates of $55 million to $60 million for municipal sewer rehabilitation projects; $60 million to $65 million for the Kline’s Island Wastewater Treatment Plant; and $8 million to $10 million for the Western Lehigh Interceptor System.
From 2023 to now
The DEP review process was initiated nearly two years after LCA officials announced a more-than-half-billion-dollar plan for much needed upgrades to wastewater infrastructure over the next decade across its service area.
The issues with the system that sparked the current plan stretch to 2007, when the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency began regulatory action because of aging infrastructure and overflows, among other issues.
In 2019, Kline’s Island exceeded its permitted flow limit of 40 million gallons per day and the authority was placed under a corrective action plan.
When the plant exceeds capacity, untreated wastewater flows into the Little Lehigh River.
In all, the plan seeks to address the network of facilities connected to Kline’s Island for final treatment — there’s 1,000 miles of pipe serving 270,000 people.
After announcing the initiative in November 2023, LCA officials held several open houses to collect feedback and answer questions from residents.
Then, in mid-April, the plan was sent to municipal leaders for review and approval. They had until mid-June to submit comments back to LCA.
After incorporating those into the plan, there was also a 30-day public comment period.
As part of the effort, LCA has a dedicated website to keep residents informed and share updates.
