BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Bethlehem City Council on Tuesday night approved a resolution that will ultimately resolve discharge violations at the city’s wastewater treatment plant.
The legislation authorizes Mayor J. William Reynolds and Controller George Yasso to execute a consent order and agreement between Bethlehem and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.
The COA, which followed two years of negotiations, outlines multiple recurring violations of The Clean Streams Law of Pennsylvania from the discharge permit at the city’s wastewater treatment plant located on Shimersville Road. In addition, the document provides for corrective actions to address the violations.
In a memo urging City Council to approve the resolution, Edward Boscola, the city’s director of water and sewer resources, noted the department “has been working diligently over the past several years to improve operations and implement capital improvements” at the plant. He added that the department is working currently with an engineering consultant on a major plant treatment systems upgrade that will “preclude any future violations.”
According to the COA, the state DEP reissued a permit to Bethlehem in 2012. That permit authorized the discharge of treated sewage to Lehigh River and Saucon Creek, with certain restrictions and conditions by which the city’s wastewater treatment plant must abide.
However, the COA outlined a number of violations dating back to 2018, when levels of ammonia-nitrogen output exceeded the permit limit. Most recently, in June 2026, there was one violation of fecal coliform effluent that exceeded the permissible amount.
Other violations, the COA stated, included the failure to prevent cases of sanitary sewer overflow due to a range of suspected causes such as “blockage from grease and rags” and a “pump station inundated with fibrous material, and plastic straws/beads.”
The COA also outlines corrective measures the city must take, which include completing construction of the Broadway sewer line replacement, submitting written progress reports to the DEP on a semiannual basis, and upgrading its aeration systems.
To settle its civil penalties for certain violations to date, the city must pay nearly $27,000 to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania-Clean Water Fund, the COA says. It also states that if the city does not comply with any term in the COA, Bethlehem will have to pay $500 a day or $1,000 per violation, depending on the nature of the transgression.
Enterprise Zone
City Council approved a contract involving renewing the city’s Enterprise Zone.
Taggart Associates will provide professional services to augment the city’s upcoming Enterprise Zone renewal. Those services will include assisting with the preparation and submission of the application to the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development to renew the designation for another five years.
The deal is worth $19,950.
The DCED authorizes Enterprise Zone tax credits for certain state taxes to private companies making qualified investments in rehabilitating, expanding or improving buildings or land in designated zones. According to the city’s website, the program is meant to encourage private investment, promote job growth and spur economic development.
General obligation notes
City Council also approved authorizing and issuing the 2026 series of general obligation notes.
The ordinance provides that all proceeds from the 2026 notes be applied to carry out the refunding of all or some of Bethlehem’s outstanding debt from the 2017 “A,” “B” and “E” series and the 2019 series.
Tuesday night’s action features a maximum aggregate principal amount of $25 million.