Penn Hills officials believe they are close to removing the community from the requirements of a federal consent decree involving the municipal sewer system.

They are waiting for a response from Environmental Protection Agency officials on the agreement approved by council last week. Penn Hills leaders want the sewer system placed in a similar consent order that other Allegheny County communities are under to comply with the Clean Water Act.

Bonnie Brimmeier, municipal solicitor, and Gateway Engineers have been working with the EPA since March on an agreement to remove Penn Hills from the decree, as requested by Mayor Anthony DeLuca Jr. and council, according to Councilwoman Sara Kuhn.

The consent decree is the result of a joint federal-state Clean Water Act lawsuit from the late 1990s regarding a violation of a permit issued to the municipality's wastewater treatment plant.

Penn Hills has spent more than $60 million to improve its sewer system as required by the consent decree. Over the years, those expenses have accumulated to about $90 million of debt for the municipality.

The consent decree has made Penn Hills more focused on isolated incidents than assessment of the entire sewer system to help predict future problem areas, according to Richard Minsterman of Gateway Engineers.

As part of negotiations with the EPA, Penn Hills sent numerous reports on repairs and improvements it has made on the sewer system, said municipal Manager Terry Van Horne.

Residents have been included in Penn Hills' efforts to remove itself from the consent decree with a form letter the municipality made available in February for residents to send to federal elected officials.