SEOs, along with other entities like municipalities and county health departments, are key partners in administration of the Sewage Facilities Program under Pennsylvania’s Sewage Facilities Act (SFA). For that reason, organizations representing these entities have membership on DEP’s Sewage Advisory Committee (SAC). SAC was created by the SFA to provide feedback and recommendations from key partners in administration of the program, including rulemakings like the rulemaking to amend Chapters 71, 72, and 73, which is still very early in the rulemaking process (step 1 of the process outlined on page 4 of this DEP booklet).
DEP met with SAC numerous times during the second half of 2025 to discuss the draft proposed rulemaking and gather their feedback and recommended revisions. On January 29, 2026, SAC met to finalize their feedback and recommendations on the draft proposed rulemaking. With that feedback in hand, DEP is now in the process of revising and preparing the rulemaking to present to the Environmental Quality Board (EQB) to consider as a proposed rulemaking (step 2 from that booklet). If EQB adopts the rulemaking, it would then be published in the Pennsylvania Bulletin for a 60-day public comment period (step 4), after which DEP would review and respond to comments received, make associated revisions to the rulemaking, and prepare a draft final rulemaking that would go back to SAC for additional consultation (step 6) before being presented to EQB to consider as a final rulemaking (step 7).
Individual SEOs are welcome to comment on the rulemaking during the public comment period, should the EQB vote to adopt the proposed rulemaking. As noted, after the public comment period, DEP would prepare a draft final rulemaking for another round of SAC consultation, so SEOs would have additional opportunities there to provide feedback, through PASEO’s representatives on SAC or by attending SAC meetings and offering public comments individually.
DEP also regularly attends conferences and workshops at several professional and trade organizations to provide updates on progress with this topic and many other topics. These organizations include the Pennsylvania Septage Management Association (PSMA), PA Municipal Authorities Association (PMAA), PA Association of Township Supervisors (PSATS), the PA Water Environmental Association (PWEA), and PA Association of Sewage Enforcement Officers (PASEO).
Please share this information with county and local officials. They are also welcome to comment on the rulemaking during the public comment period, pass their comments on to a SAC representative, and/or attend SAC meetings and offer public comments individually. As the rulemaking effort moves forward, we will keep you informed of the progress. You can stay up to date with SAC meetings on the website https://www.pa.gov/agencies/dep/public-participation/advisory-committees/water-advisory-committees/sewage-advisory-committee.
