That is the amount of an already-approved state grant that would go toward the cost of a $3 million sewage project.

The project, involving cutting-edge technology, will cut the level of the city sewage system's nitrogen pollution discharged into local waters and the Chesapeake Bay.

But if the suburban township doesn't commit to pay its share for the project in the next few weeks, the grant will be lost, according to City Public Works Director Charlotte Katzenmoyer.

Katzenmoyer said today that the grant must be claimed by March 2004. Before it can be claimed, the city must complete a project to retrofit the city's sewage treatment plant on New Danville Pike to accommodate the new technology.

That project will take "at least a year'' to complete and it cannot be speeded up, she said. The bidding process for the project must begin soon.

"We are either going to get $1 million now or nothing later, and we'll still have to do the project,'' said Lancaster Mayor Charlie Smithgall. "It doesn't make any sense to lose that grant over this.''

A $45,000 payment from East Lampeter must be obtained in the next few weeks, according to Katzenmoyer. That is just the first part of the township's total responsibility of $304,000.

Other inter-municipal members that pipe sewage to the city for treatment, namely Manheim Township, the Suburban Lancaster Area Sewer Authority and the Leola Sewer Authority, have already committed funding to the project.

But East Lampeter Manager Ralph Hutchison objected to the city's claim that the township is responsible for jeopardizing the grant.

"We certainly support the city's effort to obtain grant funding for any projects,'' he said. "We do not want grant funding to be lost.''

He said the township supported the project to lower the level of nitrates. East Lampeter last year helped fund the original study of the nutrient removal system to determine whether the new process would work or not.

Hutchison blamed the holdup on the city, which he said has failed so far to return the township's share of money left over from previous sewage projects.

He said the city used some of that money for projects that were not approved by the inter-municipal partners.

When that money is returned, Hutchison said East Lampeter will talk about new projects.

"It was eight months ago that we asked them to put our money back into the escrow account,'' he said. "I think it was a little over $27,000 that had to be returned. I don't know why they haven't.''

Katzenmoyer said the city is returning that money but it may take up to 10 days for the bank to finalize that process. That may be too late for the grant, she added.

Hutchison said the account does not have to be closed, just the funds returned.

"I called Charlotte last week,'' Hutchison said. "I am still waiting for a return call. East Lampeter is prepared to participate in the project.''

The grant project involves introducing sewage-digesting organisms that could cut the level of nitrogen pollution by two-thirds, officials say.

State officials say the city could eliminate nearly 1 million pounds of nitrogen each year from the Conestoga River, and thus the Chesapeake Bay.

Excessive nutrients including nitrogen disrupt aquatic life in the bay and cause too much algae, which starves the water of oxygen, kills fish and prevents crucial underwater grasses from growing.

Katzenmoyer said that the state has already told the city that it will be required to implement the new nitrogen-digesting system within the next several years.

The Suburban Lancaster Area Sewer Authority sends the city sewage from Strasburg Borough and West Lampeter, Pequea, Strasburg and Lancaster townships.

Leola Sewer Authority sends the city sewage from Upper Leacock and West Earl townships.

The city contributes half of the 30 million gallons of sewage designed to flow through the treatment plant.

Manheim Township sends nearly 19 percent of the total, East Lampeter Sewer Authority 15 percent, Suburban Lancaster Area Sewer Authority 14 percent and Leola Sewer Authority just over 2 percent.



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