Pennsylvania regulators on Thursday approved the $235 million sale of a public wastewater system in York County to Pennsylvania American Water, the largest privatization so far allowed under a 2016 law thatThe Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission voted 3-0 toto absorb the York City Sewer Authority, which serves 13,747 direct customers in York and about 30,000 customers indirectly through service agreements with surrounding townships.
The sale was approved after Pennsylvania American came to a settlement with various consumer advocates and surrounding towns that had filed protests with the PUC to the privatization. The PUC on Thursday approved the settlement without comment.In Philly suburbs, sewer systems are for sale, and citizens push back, fearing rate hikes
The York wastewater system has about $30 million in debt, according to PUC filings, so the city should clear a significant amount of the $235 million sale price for municipal coffers.