The Upper Southampton Municipal Authority regrets the inconvenience caused to residents that tried to attend the stormwater meeting on January 22. Three prior community meetings were scheduled and advertised by the Township. These meetings were held at the community center in August, September, and October 2025 with representatives from both the Township and the Authority present. Unfortunately, the meetings were not well attended.
We are proposing another meeting for March 26th at a venue large enough to hold those who wish to attend. We will be sending blast emails to every resident for whom we have an email address to confirm the meeting date and time and ask for an RSVP so we can plan properly. If the Authority does not have your email address, please send an email to info@usauthorities.org with "Stormwater Meeting" in the subject line and include your address; we will include you in the email blast.
In the meantime, please consider the following FACTS related to stormwater management and the transfer of those responsibilities from the Township to the Authority:
- The transfer of the stormwater assets (pipes, culverts, basins, end walls, swales, etc.) from the Township to the Authority was made possible by a change in the law authorizing the Authority to assume the ownership of stormwater infrastructure and management responsibilities. Prior to the amendment to the Pennsylvania Authorities Act, the Township was obligated to maintain, replace and repair the stormwater infrastructure.
- The budgeted revenue for the first fiscal year ending June 30, 2026, for stormwater fees is $785,000. By comparison, a cost estimate to repair the area of Hogeland and Cold Spring Roads (an area of approximately 2065 feet or .4 mile), including new pipe, and replacing inlets and a storm manhole is estimated at $721,130. The stormwater fees collected by the Authority are utilized SOLELY for stormwater projects to manage stormwater, mitigate erosion and reduce pollution. NO PROFIT will ever be realized by the Authority from the stormwater fees.
- Upper Southampton Township has been mandated by state and federal authorities since early in 2000 to complete the stormwater management functions essential to control stormwater and reduce pollution. The mandate is unfunded, meaning state and federal funds have not been set aside to pay for the stormwater repairs and improvements. By assessing a fee (as opposed to an increase of property taxes), all property owners with impervious coverage are subject to the fee. Therefore, the burden of paying for these mandated improvements is shared by all property owners, including owners of properties that would otherwise be exempt from taxation under existing law.
Please refer to the Township Q&A posted on both the Township website www.ustwp.org and the Authority site at www.usauthorities.org for further information or email the authority at info@usauthorities.org with questions, to obtain flyover data used to assess your stormwater fee, or information about available credits and the appeals process.
Thank you!
For more information, please see the following:
