The court-appointed receiver for the City of Chester, Michael T. Doweary, plans to solicit bids for monetization of the water, wastewater and stormwater operations. “I am excited to propose an innovative approach that, if done properly, could not only help Chester address its financial situation, but also result in a publicly owned regional entity that would preserve public sector jobs, minimize the impact on ratepayers and provide a regional solution to stormwater management,” Doweary said. Chester Mayor Stefan Roots is on board with the plan. The receiver said it is a critical step to restructure the city’s debts, moving out of bankruptcy while also providing services to residents. To monetize the systems, Chester will issue a request for proposals to third parties to acquire, manage or operate the city’s water, sewer and stormwater assets with the requirement that they remain publicly owned. That includes the assets of the Chester Water Authority, the assets of the Chester Stormwater Authority and the city’s reversionary sewer assets in DELCORA. The Chester Water Authority was created in 1866 and provided service to 67 customers in the city. It has since grown to a system of 656 miles of pipeline with a capacity to store up to 106 million gallons of treated water. It serves more than 42,000 customers with a total impact of approximately 200,000 people. The CWA now serves the city of Chester, and Chadds Ford, Concord, Thornbury, Chester Heights, Middletown, Aston, Bethel, Upper Chichester, Nether Providence, Brookhaven, Upland, Chester Township, Lower Chichester, Marcus Hook, Trainer and Parkside in Delaware County. Of its customers, about 20% are in the city of Chester, another 20% are in Chester County and the remaining 60% are in western Delaware County.
Source: Daily Local; 8/26/2024