North Huntingdon Township Municipal Authority is reaching out to homeowners and real estate agents in an effort to explain its new policy requiring inspections of sewer lines of private property.

The authority invited nearly 140 individuals from Norwin realty firms, closing companies and banks to a meeting earlier this month.

About 20 attended, including representatives from Western Westmoreland Association of Realtors, said authority general manager Kate Petrosky.

Starting May 1, homeowners who plan to sell or refinance their house will have to pay for an inspection of their lateral sewer line. The lines, which connect the home to the authority's main line, will be inspected with a remote controlled camera.

Homeowners will have to repair any problems found before the sale or refinancing can proceed. Cracked and damaged lines allow rainwater to flow into the sanitary sewer system, which causes raw sewage to overflow into local waterways and even homes during storms.

At the meeting, authority officials explained how homeowners could schedule the inspections, as well as how to handle repairs.

"The biggest point of discussion was the need to schedule the inspections as early as possible," Petrosky said.

She said early inspections are imperative to avoid delaying the closing of a sale.

Petrosky said real estate agents focused on obtaining as much information for their clients as possible.

"They're pretty much resigned to it. They realize it's a sign of the times," she said.

"They just want to make the process as smooth as possible as we do."

The authority also wants residents of Penn's Woods to have their questions answered. Starting in mid April, 121 homeowners along St. Clair Drive, Niagara Drive, Wayne Drive, Torie Drive, Marven Drive, Colonial Manor Road and Five Pines Road will receive letters informing them of the results of lateral line inspections conducted over the last several months.

On April 29 at 7 p.m. at the Penn's Woods Civic Association building, Petrosky and other authority employees will discuss steps affected residents will have to take to repair their lines. The meeting also will cover how low-income homeowners can apply for a federal grant to pay the cost of repairs, which are expected to be between $2,500 and $5,000.

Although Petrosky did not have any final numbers, an approximately 30-home sample showed about one third of lines passing the inspection without any problems.

Of the remaining two thirds, half had only minor problems, which homeowners would have five years to repair. The rest of the lines had more serious defects, which Petrosky said homeowners would have to fix within the year.

The process will continue next year with Phase 2 of the inspections, which will affect homes on Marbury Drive, portions of Diane Merle Drive, Niagara Drive, lower Five Pines Road and part of Country Hills.

Homeowners with questions about the Penn's Woods inspections or the inspections required before sale or refinancing can contact Petrosky at 724-863-2860 or online through www.nhtma.org. Informational brochures are also available at the North Huntingdon Town House.

Meeting set for Niagara Drive residents

North Huntingdon Township Municipal Authority will hold a meeting tonight, Wednesday, at 7:45 for residents on Niagara Drive.

The authority will replace its main sewer line along Niagara Drive, and residents are invited to attend to learn how the construction might affect them.

The meeting will take place in the second floor board room of the North Huntingdon Town House.