DEP Orders Wastewater Systems Operator to Surrender Certificate

WILKES-BARRE — Under an agreement with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, a sewage treatment plant operator must surrender his operator’s certificate due to several violations found in the wastewater systems at three mobile home parks in Berks, Lehigh and Schuylkill counties.

Patrick Brennan, of Perkiomenville, Lehigh County, was found to have violated state laws governing the operation of a sewage treatment plant.

Brennan operated the Hometown Li’l Wolf LLC sewage treatment plant in North Whitehall Township, Lehigh County; The Pines at West Penn plant in West Penn Township, Schuylkill County; and Pleasant Hills Mobile Home Park plant in Tilden Township, Berks County.

A DEP investigation determined that Brennan failed to notify the agency about dried sludge near air units and manholes at the Hometown Li’l Wolf plant in March, and that he failed to adequately remove the sludge.

Previously, in October 2010, DEP determined that Brennan failed to properly clean solids from inside piping at the The Pines’ plant, resulting in the detection of blood worms in samples taken from below the sewage treatment plant’s discharge pipe. Blood worms are an indication of poorly operated wastewater treatment facilities.

In 2008 and 2009, Brennan also failed to properly notify DEP of at least eight separate incidents of overflows of partially treated sewage from the Pleasant Hills Mobile Home Park’s plant.

DEP determined that Brennan’s actions violated the Clean Streams Law and the Water and Wastewater Systems Operators Act. He agreed to surrender his certificate to DEP.