Planning for the Future
Kline’s Island Sewer System Act 537 Plan Projects
Our sewer system is aging and at capacity, threatening the health and safety of our communities. The Kline’s Island Sewer System Act 537 Plan includes several projects to address this, which are anticipated to be completed 2026 - 2035.
The Kline’s Island Wastewater Treatment Plant is responsible for treating wastewater from all 15 municipalities served by KISS. This treatment plant is essential to the health of each community and the environment. It treats 32 million gallons of wastewater daily. During wet weather, the system generates flows of up to 160 million gallons per day due to system leakage. The plant cannot treat these high flows during wet weather. To ensure it is able to continue supporting Lehigh County, we need to:
Expand its pumping capacity to treat wet weather flows
Perform treatment enhancements to improve the plant’s performance during high flows
Repair, replace, and upgrade treatment plant components because some parts are 100 years old
The cost estimate for this work is $51 million.
Kline’s Island Wastewater Treatment Plant
Kline’s Island Wastewater Treatment Plant
Our region has 22 large customers, many in the food and beverage manufacturing business, that use the industrial pretreatment plant. These businesses employed an estimated 2,950 workers in 2022 and generated $253 million in annual earnings. The pretreatment plant is an essential component of the sewer system that removes harmful pollutants from industrial customers’ wastewater before sending it into the system. This helps keep our communities and waterways healthy and controls treatment costs.
In addition to the economic benefits our region enjoys as a result of having the industrial pretreatment plant, many communities are still growing. Having adequate sewer capacity to serve future customers is an important ingredient in the recipe for planned growth in Lehigh County.
Today, our sewer system is maxed out, including the industrial pretreatment plant. Without a program to enhance system capacity, communities that are still growing will not be able to add new customers, and new industries will not be able to locate here. To protect Lehigh County’s economy and ensure the pretreatment plant continues to function, we plan to conduct major upgrades on the overloaded and aging system.
The cost estimate for this work is $267 million. This estimate is under review.
Industrial Pretreatment Plant
Kline’s Island Wastewater Treatment Plant
Industrial Pretreatment Plant
The Little Lehigh Interceptor is an integral part of KISS. An interceptor is a large sewer pipe designed to collect and transport wastewater from smaller pipes to a treatment plant. This critical piece of infrastructure helps ensure wastewater does not overflow into the environment as it makes its way through the system. Right now, the interceptor is overloaded and risks major sewer overflows during wet weather events. These overflows would cause significant damage to the environment.
As part of the Kline’s Island Sewer System Act 537 Plan, the Little Lehigh Interceptor will be upgraded to a larger size to ensure it has capacity to handle current and future flows.
The cost estimate for this work is $23 - $30 million.
Little Lehigh Interceptor
The Western Lehigh Interceptor is similar to the Little Lehigh Interceptor; it helps transport wastewater to the Kline’s Island Wastewater Treatment Plant. It is overloaded as well and risks major sewer overflows during wet weather events.
The interceptor will be upgraded to a larger size to ensure it has capacity to handle current and future flows. In addition to increasing its size, we’re also exploring a pumping option that would help it operate more efficiently.
The cost estimate for this work is $76 - $98 million.
Western Lehigh Interceptor
KISS is a regional system that includes several municipal systems. As part of our regional approach to updating the sewer system, municipalities are planning to update and enhance their own systems as well. Each municipality has provided its expected work plan for addressing aging infrastructure and ongoing sewer rehabilitation.
The result of these individual projects will help ensure the entire plan is a success and determine the need for larger projects in the future.
The cost estimate for this work is $90 million.
Municipal Sewer Rehabilitation Programs
Some municipalities have their own sewer system components that currently or will soon overflow during wet weather events. Right now, we’re reviewing these projects to determine whether they need to be included in the Kline’s Island Sewer System Act 537 Plan.
The projects are estimated to cost $54 - $59 million.
Municipal Interceptors
KISS Projects to Be Completed
The Kline’s Island Sewer System Act 537 Plan includes several projects. This plan is the largest investment our region has ever made to protect public health and the environment. Here’s what the cost of all those projects looks like when you put them together.
Major Plan Component
Kline’s Island Wastewater Treatment Plant
Cost Estimate
$51 Million
Pretreatment Plant
(Under Review)
Little Lehigh Interceptor
Western Lehigh Interceptor
Cost Estimate for Regional Components
Municipal Sewer Rehabilitation Programs
Other Municipal Interceptors
Cost Estimate for Municipal-Specific Components
Total Cost Estimate
$267 Million
$23 - $30 Million
$76 - $98 Million
$417 - $446 Million
$90 Million
$54 - $59 Million
$144 - $148 Million
$561 - $595 Million