Court Opinion

ID: 9915431
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2024-01-05 15:09:27.862862+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T13:14:02.720553
License: Public Domain

IN THE COMMONWEALTH COURT OF PENNSYLVANIA

Orbisonia-Rockhill Joint                 :   CASES CONSOLIDATED
Municipal Authority                      :
                                         :
             v.                          :
                                         :
Cromwell Township, Huntingdon            :
County, PA and the Southern              :
Huntingdon County School District        :
                                         :
Appeal of: Southern Huntingdon           :
County School District                   :   No. 940 C.D. 2022
                                         :
Orbisonia-Rockhill Joint                 :
Municipal Authority                      :
                                         :
             v.                          :
                                         :
Cromwell Township, Huntingdon            :
County, PA and the Southern              :
Huntingdon County School District        :
                                         :   No. 978 C.D. 2022
Appeal of: Cromwell Township             :   Argued: December 4, 2023

BEFORE:      HONORABLE ANNE E. COVEY, Judge
             HONORABLE STACY WALLACE, Judge
             HONORABLE MARY HANNAH LEAVITT, Senior Judge

OPINION NOT REPORTED

MEMORANDUM OPINION BY
JUDGE COVEY                                          FILED: January 5, 2024

             Southern Huntingdon County School District (School District) and
Cromwell Township (Township), Huntingdon County (County) (collectively,
Appellants), appeal from the County Common Pleas Court’s (trial court) August 15,
2022 order granting Orbisonia-Rockhill Joint Municipal Authority’s (Authority)
Petition for Preliminary Injunction (Petition), thereby enjoining the School District
and the Township from adding new connections to the Authority’s wastewater
treatment system (Treatment System) pending litigation of the underlying action in
the trial court. Appellants present one issue for this Court’s review: whether the trial
court erred by granting the Petition. Upon review, this Court affirms the trial court’s
order.

                                        Background
              On December 23, 2016, the Township and the Authority entered into a
30-year Sewage Treatment Agreement (Agreement) that authorized the Township to
connect its wastewater collection system (Collection System) to the Authority’s
Treatment System, subject to certain conditions.
              Specifically, Section 1.03 of the Agreement provided, in relevant part:

              [The Township] shall have the right to deliver to the
              [Authority f]acilities all wastewater originating within the
              Pogue, Pine Tree Village[,] and Southern Huntingdon
              High School[/Middle School (High School/Middle
              School)1] service area described in the present Act 537
              Plan [Update] for [the Pogue and Pine Tree Village areas
              of [the Township (Act 537 Plan)],[2] it being understood
              and agreed that this Agreement is not intended to address
              treatment of sewage from any on-lot septic systems or
              from other areas of the Township not presently included
              in the Pogue, Pine Tree Village[,] and [High
              School/Middle School] service area. Moreover, the
              [Township’s] service area shall not include two recent
              connections to [the Township’s] Collection System, said
              properties located in Rockhill Borough.               Those

         1
          When the parties executed the Agreement, the Middle School was attached to the High
School as one building.
        2
          An Act 537 Plan is a planning document approved by the Pennsylvania Department of
Environmental Protection pursuant to the Pennsylvania Sewage Facilities Act, Act of January 24,
1966, P.L. (1965) 1535, as amended, 35 P.S. §§ 750.1-750.20a, “used to plan for long-term sewage
disposal needs in townships, boroughs, etc.]” Reproduced Record (R.R.) at 377a. The Township’s
November 2011 Act 537 Plan, prepared by Stiffler McGraw & Associates, was in effect when the
Township and the Authority signed the Agreement in 2016. See Stipulated Facts ¶ 5 (R.R. at
118a); see also Stipulated Facts Ex. C (R.R. at 135a-213a); R.R. at 378a.
                                               2
            connections shall be considered to be in the [Authority’s]
            service area.

Agreement § 1.03 (Reproduced Record (R.R.) at 124a).
            Section 1.05 of the Agreement specifies, in pertinent part:

            It is agreed that any sewer project contemplated by [the
            Township] other than the existing sewer service area of
            Pogue, Pine Tree Village[,] and the [High School/Middle
            School] shall not be addressed by the terms of this
            Agreement. Any further [Township] sewer expansion
            project, if connection to the [Authority’s Treatment
            S]ystem is contemplated, shall require a new agreement
            between the parties.

Agreement § 1.05 (R.R. at 125a) (emphasis added).
            Section 4.04 of the Agreement further declares, in relevant part:

            [The Township] shall pay to [the Authority] a monthly
            sum of two thousand dollars ($2,000.00) for the treatment
            of [the Township’s] wastewater flow. This amount shall
            be and is intended to include the cost of treatment for a
            maximum average daily flow of twenty-six thousand
            (26,000) gallons, based on a rate of $2.35 per thousand
            gallons of flow. The monthly sum shall be paid without
            deduction of any expenses, costs, engineering fees, payroll
            or other such expenses of [the Township] in connection
            with the maintenance, repair, construction and
            performance of [the Township’s] [C]ollection [S]ystem.
            If [the Township’s] wastewater flow increases to more
            than an average of twenty-eight thousand five hundred
            (28,500) gallons per day [(GPD)] of wastewater flow for
            at least two successive quarters, [the Authority] shall have
            the right to request that [the Township] meet within thirty
            (30) days of the notice of the request to consider and
            negotiate an addendum to this Agreement to increase the
            monthly treatment fee. Failing to agree on an addendum,
            either party may submit the claim in accordance with
            Section 7.02 [of the Agreement] [(relating to optional
            mediation)].

Agreement § 4.04 (R.R. at 127a).

                                         3
              Pursuant to the Agreement, the Township’s Collection System
collects/conveys sewage originating in the Township to the Authority’s Treatment
System. As the initial user base on which the Authority calculated sewer tapping
fees and determined whether the Authority’s Treatment System could handle
additional flows, Section 3.1 of the Act 537 Plan incorporated into the Agreement
the allotted 80 residential equivalent dwelling units (EDUs), plus 16.5 EDUs for the
School District’s High School/Middle School building located at 10339 Pogue Road
(Parcel), for a total of 96.5 EDUs.3 See R.R. at 125a, 139a, 267a-268a, 282a-283a,
296a, 308a-309a.
              As part of the School District’s previous High School/Middle School
expansion project, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP)
approved the School District’s Sewage Facilities Planning Module, which set the
maximum sewage from the Parcel to be treated at the Authority’s Treatment System
at 6,956 GPD.4 See R.R. at 229a. However, the Authority’s flow meter measures
all flows from the Township’s Collection System to the Authority’s Treatment
System, and does not distinguish flows coming from Pogue versus Pine Tree Village
versus the High School/Middle School service areas. See R.R. at 333a.
              Section 4.04 of the Agreement prescribes that the Township would pay
for a flow meter to be installed at a location chosen by the Authority, that the
Authority was solely responsible for gathering and recording data therefrom, and
that the data the Authority gathered and recorded would “be used as the basis for
monitoring the [Township’s] flows . . . .” R.R. at 127a. According to the Authority,

       3
          The Township also proposed to add a connection to the Authority’s Treatment System
from a garage located at 11089 Pogue Road. The parties agree that 4 additional residential EDUs
and the garage have since been connected above and beyond the 96.5 EDUs the Authority
anticipated under the Agreement.
        4
          DEP issues violation notices to the Authority if/when the Township’s flows exceed the
Authority’s approved GPD allotment. See R.R. at 276a-277a.
                                              4
pursuant to Section 4.04 of the Agreement, the Township was supposed to install a
meter specifically to measure flows from the High School/Middle School. Because
the Township has not yet installed a flow meter specifically for the High
School/Middle School,5 the Township’s only GPD sewage flow measures include
GPD flows from the Pogue, Pine Tree Village, and High School/Middle School
service areas.
                In approximately 2019, the School District proposed to build a single
elementary school on the Parcel that would accommodate students and staff from
the School District’s three existing elementary schools (Project or new elementary
school).6      The School District conducted multiple public meetings, town hall
meetings, and feasibility studies related to the Project.
                Because the proposed elementary school would be located on the
Parcel, additional sewage planning for the Project would be required if the total

       5
           Todd J. McCartney, the Authority’s plant manager, testified:
                Q. Was it your understanding that eventually there would be a flow
                meter installed at the [High S]chool[/Middle School] property to tell
                [the Authority] what the flow would be?
                A. Yes.
                Q. Has that been done?
                A. Not that I know of. I have talked to the supervisor. It’s supposed
                to be underway. I don’t know if it got done.
R.R. at 333a. The Township did not offer evidence that it has installed a separate flow meter for
the High School/Middle School service area.
        6
          The School District’s three existing elementary schools are: Rockhill Elementary School
(Rockhill), Shade Gap Elementary School (Shade Gap), and Spring Farms Elementary School
(Spring Farms). Only Shade Gap and Spring Farms are currently located in the Township and are
included in the Township’s Collection System for which the Township currently pays the
Authority $2,000.00 per month for sewage treatment services. Rockhill is located in Rockhill
Borough and directly pays the Authority to treat its sewage - $60.00 monthly for each of its 12
EDUs (i.e., $720.00/month). See R.R. at 327a-328a. When the new elementary school opens, the
School District will close Rockhill, Shade Gap, and Spring Farms, and the Authority will no longer
separately receive sewage flows or income from Rockhill.

                                                 5
sewage flow from the Parcel exceeded DEP’s previous 6,956 GPD approval. See
R.R. at 229a, 395a-397a, 403a-404a. The School District’s Project engineer J. Marc
Kurowski, P.E. (Kurowski), of K&W Engineers (K&W), preliminarily calculated,
based on estimated flow numbers, that the Project would generate additional sewage
discharge of 7,500 GPD from the Parcel. See R.R. at 248a. By October 8, 2019
letter, Kurowski notified the Authority that because the Project would exceed the
Authority’s DEP authorized sewage flow cap, the Authority had to seek DEP
approval for the Authority to accept the Project’s additional flows. See id.
                However, by October 29, 2020 letter to the Township, Kurowski
provided updated calculations, based on actual flow data, that the Project will only
produce 2,280 GPD of additional flows to the Authority’s Treatment System. See
R.R. at 229a, 391a-393a.         Kurowski represented that, based on his updated
calculations,

                it appears that there will actually be excess capacity
                available (1,619 GPD) on [the Parcel] upon completion of
                the [] [P]roject and that no new sewer capacity is required
                at this time. As such, we respectfully request your
                consideration of this information and issuance of a [“]no
                planning[”] letter to confirm this approach (which would
                concurrently result in a withdrawal of the previously
                submitted [sewage facilities planning] application for the
                [P]roject).

R.R.at 230a. Based upon Kurowski’s updated calculations, by November 12, 2020
letter, DEP informed the Township’s Board of Supervisors: “As [the Project] will
not generate sewage flows that will cause the total sewage flows on th[e] [Parcel] to
exceed the approved sewage flows for th[e] [Parcel (i.e., 6,956 GPD)], no sewage
facilities planning is required.” R.R. at 133a.
                Notwithstanding, on March 16, 2021, the Authority notified the School
District of its “deep concerns regarding the estimated sewage flows that will be

                                            6
coming from [the Parcel] with the addition of the new elementary school.” R.R. at
249a. The Authority expressed that the School District underestimated its flow
calculations and, since the Authority had not approved and, in fact, was still working
with the Township on sewage facility planning, it authorized senior environmental
engineer Justin T. Matincheck, P.E. (Matincheck) from Skelly & Loy (S&L) to
review the School District’s flow calculations.           See R.R. at 249a-250a.        The
Authority declared that extra sewage flows from the School District adding three
elementary schools, plus a full kitchen,7 would place the Township over its allotted
sewage flow to the Authority’s Treatment System. See R.R. at 250a. The Authority
explained that it was seeking grants to upgrade the Treatment System to
accommodate increased flows from new construction projects, but it would take at
least three years or more to make the accommodations if the grants are approved.
See id. The Authority asserted: “At this time [the Authority is] already hydraulically
overloaded, and according to . . . DEP Planning Director, Tim[othy] Wagner
[(Wagner)],[8] [the Authority would] not be enabled to handle any new additions until
after the year 2024.” Id.
              On May 17, 2021, Matincheck issued his report, concluding:

              K&W and S&L utilized different assumptions and
              calculation methods throughout the evaluation. To
              determine the existing [High School/Middle School]
              sewage flows[,] additional years of water usage data is
              required. Additionally, daily water usage records are
              necessary to accurately determine the peak day water
              usage for the [High School/Middle School]. The K&W
              evaluation did not consider peak day flow or

       7
         The Authority also referenced that the new elementary school would have showers, but
witnesses declared that the new elementary school would not have showers. See R.R. at 393a.
       8
         DEP’s Clean Water Program’s planning section reviews construction plans for sewage
flows and a receiving facility’s ability to accept them. See R.R. at 350a.
                                             7
              extracurricular activities . . . .[9] S&L has estimated the
              peak day flows based on the available information.
              The [new elementary school] sewage flows were
              estimated utilized [sic] limited water usage data (only one
              year)[.] [T]o complete a thorough evaluation[,] multiple
              years of data are required. Additionally, like the [High
              School/Middle School], daily water usage records would
              be preferred to determine the peak day flow. Water usage
              from Rockhill [Elementary School (Rockhill)] was only
              provided. The water usage from Shade Gap [Elementary
              School] and Spring Farms [Elementary School] should
              also be evaluated. The student and staff populations
              during the Rockhill study period (2018-2019) were not
              provided. To accurately determine the water usage
              loading, the population breakdown during this period is
              required. Additionally, the [Elementary School] staff
              population following the school expansion project needs
              to be confirmed.
              The K&W evaluation utilizes the current or past student
              and staff populations within [its] calculations. The future
              or maximum school expansion capacity should be
              included in the evaluation calculations. This would
              include accounting for the peak day flow for the expanded
              school. When reviewing peak monthly or peak day
              conditions, the projected sewage flows from the school
              expansion exceed the current sewage planning approval.

R.R. at 227a.
              Clearly, the parties do not agree regarding how much additional sewage
flow the Project would create, or whether the additional flows would require the
parties to negotiate a new agreement. According to the Authority, the Township was
already approaching its maximum permitted flows without the Project, and if the
new elementary school is connected to the Authority’s system before a new
agreement could be reached, the Authority would be forced to take on the additional

       9
          Matincheck explained that if a peak event should occur, such as a sold-out Friday night
football game after a full day of school, the flows would be much higher than those calculated by
the School District.
                                               8
flows it lacked the capacity to treat. The Authority claimed that it reached out to the
Township numerous times to meet and negotiate a new agreement,10 but the
Township declined to negotiate and continued to move the Project forward.11 The
Township took the position that since the Parcel on which the new elementary school
is proposed to be built was part of the existing High School/Middle School service
area and flows therefrom would not exceed 6,956 GPD, the Agreement covered the
Project, no new agreement was necessary, and delaying Project construction was
unwarranted.

       10
            Section 1.04 of the Agreement clearly provides: “The parties each agree to the extent
possible and economically practicable . . . , to cooperate and share pertinent information with each
other in facilitating the maintenance . . . and/or operation of their [w]astewater collection systems
. . . .” R.R. at 124a.
         11
            Section 3.03 of the Agreement states, in pertinent part:
               This Agreement may be reviewed every five (5) years by the parties,
               upon the written request of either. During the review, the parties
               have the right to request changes to all requirements set forth in this
               Agreement[,] including but not limited to[,] the amount of the
               tapping fee established hereunder, the monthly treatment cost paid
               to [the Authority] by [the Township] and the need to collect any
               additional cost for treatment of excess flows as set forth in Section
               4.05 [of the Agreement]. Upon a written request for review being
               sent, the parties shall meet within thirty (30) days of the request to
               consider and negotiate an addendum to this Agreement. If the
               parties are unable to agree, either party may submit the claim in
               accordance with Section 7.02 [of the Agreement (relating to optional
               mediation)].
R.R. at 126a. When the trial court inquired whether the parties met in 2021 to negotiate pursuant
to Section 3.03 of the Agreement, the Authority’s counsel represented that the parties met in
January 2022 to discuss the Agreement, and “[t]hat’s where it ended as far as progress . . . . [W]e
have discussions then nothing gets done. Then the time gets closer and closer to the school being
built. And that was the reason for the lawsuit.” R.R. at 410a.
                                                 9
                                             Facts
               On May 6, 2022, the Authority filed an Action for Declaratory
Judgment (Complaint) against the Township and the School District12 in the trial
court requesting clarification of the parties’ rights under the Agreement, claiming
that “[t]he Township is breaching, or is threatening to imminently breach, the
express terms of the Agreement by proceeding to approve the [Project] and adding
additional unauthorized flows . . . to [the Authority’s Treatment System].”
Complaint ¶ 29 (R.R. at 10a). The Authority sought an order:

               A) Declaring that the current Agreement between the
               parties covers only the service areas of Pogue, Pine Tree
               Village[,] and the [High School/Middle School] as they
               existed when the Agreement was entered into in 2016;
               B) Declaring that any new connections or sewage
               expansion projects not covered under the Agreement
               require a new agreement between [the Authority] and the
               Township;
               C) Declaring that the Township may not approve the
               addition of the new elementary school without negotiating
               a new agreement with [the Authority]; and
               D) Ordering any other relief as the [trial c]ourt deems
               appropriate.

Complaint Ad Damnum Clause at 7-8 (R.R. at 10a-11a). The Township and the
School District filed answers with new matter to the Complaint, and the Authority
filed replies to their new matter.
               Also on May 6, 2022, the Authority filed the Petition, seeking to have
the trial court “enter an [o]rder preliminarily enjoining the Township from adding
new unauthorized connections to [the Authority’s Treatment System] during the

       12
          The Authority acknowledged in the Complaint: “The [School] District, while not a party
to the Agreement, has a direct interest in a determination by the [trial c]ourt whether the new
elementary school can send its sewage flows to the [Authority’s] plant. Thus, the [School] District
is being joined as a party to this lawsuit.” Complaint ¶ 31 (R.R. at 10a).
                                                10
pendency of th[e] lawsuit or until further order of the [trial c]ourt.” Petition Ad
Damnum Clause at 4 (R.R. at 26a). On May 20, 2022, the School District filed an
answer and brief opposing the Petition, therein asserting that the Authority failed to
satisfy the criteria in Summit Towne Centre, Inc. v. Shoe Show of Rocky Mount, Inc.,
828 A.2d 995 (Pa. 2003), for an injunction pending appeal. See R.R. at 46a-67a. On
June 13, 2022, the Township filed an answer and brief opposing the Petition on the
same basis. See R.R. at 87a-110a. The trial court conducted a hearing on the Petition
on July 8, 2022. After the hearing, the parties filed post-hearing briefs.
               On August 15, 2022, the trial court granted the Petition, thereby
enjoining Appellants “from adding any new connection to the Authority’s []
Treatment System pending further order of court.” School Dist. Br. App. A, Trial
Ct. Op. at 11 (R.R. at 474a); see also id. at 1-10 (R.R. at 475a-484a). The Township
and the School District each appealed to this Court.13

                                          Discussion
               Initially,

               [p]reliminary injunctive relief is an equitable remedy
               available in equity actions. Barcia v. Fenlon, 37 A.3d
               1 . . . (Pa. Cmwlth. 2012). ‘A preliminary injunction is
               designed to preserve the subject of the controversy in the
               condition in which it is when the order is made, it is not to
               subvert, but to maintain the existing status quo until the
               legality of the challenged conduct can be determined on
               the merits.’ Greater Nanticoke Area Educ[.] Ass[’]n v.
               Greater Nanticoke Area Sch[.] Dist[.], 938 A.2d 1177,
               1183 (Pa. Cmwlth. 2007).

       13
          The School District’s appeal was docketed at Pa. Cmwlth. No. 940 C.D. 2022. The
Township’s appeal was docketed at Pa. Cmwlth. No. 978 C.D. 2022. By November 30, 2022
Order, this Court consolidated the appeals and named the School District and the Township as
designated appellants. The Township “adopts by reference the arguments and relief requested by
the School District to the extent they are consistent with [the Township’s] brief.” Township Br. at
11 n.1.
                                                11
            Our review of a trial court’s order granting or denying
            preliminary injunctive relief is ‘highly deferential.’
            Summit Towne, . . . 828 A.2d [at] 1000 . . . . ‘[W]e do not
            inquire into the merits of the controversy, but only
            examine the record to determine if there were any
            apparently reasonable grounds for the action of the
            court below.’ Id. (quoting Roberts v. B[d.] of Dir[s.] of
            Sch[.] Dist[.], . . . 341 A.2d 475, 478 ([Pa.] 1975)). Only
            when it is clear no grounds exist to support the decree, or
            the rule of law was ‘palpably erroneous or misapplied,’
            will such order be reversed. Id. [(quoting Roberts, 341
            A.2d at 478)]; accord Novak v. Commonwealth, . . . 523
            A.2d 318, 319 ([Pa.] 1987)). Such reasonable grounds
            exist when the essential prerequisites for the granting of
            an injunction are met. Summit Towne, 828 A.2d at 1000.

SPTR, Inc. v. City of Phila., 150 A.3d 160, 165-66 (Pa. Cmwlth. 2016) (emphasis
added).

            There are six essential prerequisites a party must establish
            before obtaining preliminary injunctive relief:
                     (1) the injunction is necessary to prevent
                     immediate and irreparable harm that cannot
                     be compensated adequately by damages; (2)
                     greater injury would result from refusing the
                     injunction than from granting it, and,
                     concomitantly, the issuance of an injunction
                     will not substantially harm other interested
                     parties in the proceedings; (3) the preliminary
                     injunction will properly restore the parties to
                     their status as it existed immediately prior to
                     the alleged wrongful conduct; (4) the party
                     seeking injunctive relief has a clear right to
                     relief and is likely to prevail on the merits; (5)
                     the injunction is reasonably suited to abate
                     the offending activity; and[] (6) the
                     preliminary injunction will not adversely
                     affect the public interest.
            SEIU Healthcare P[a.] v. Commonwealth, . . . 104 A.3d
            495, 502 ([Pa.] 2014) (citing Warehime v. Warehime, . . .
            860 A.2d 41, 46-47 ([Pa.] 2004)). Because the grant of a
            preliminary injunction is an extraordinary remedy, the

                                         12
               failure to establish a single prerequisite requires the denial
               of the request for injunction. Summit Towne, 828 A.2d at
               1000.

SPTR, Inc., 150 A.3d at 166. The burden of proving each prerequisite rests on the
moving party.14 Weeks v. Dep’t of Hum. Servs., 222 A.3d 722 (Pa. 2019); SEIU
Healthcare; Summit Towne.
               Appellants argue that the Authority failed to establish each of the
prerequisites necessary for a preliminary injunction and, thus, the trial court erred
by granting the Petition.

            1. The Party Seeking Injunctive Relief Has A Clear Right
               To Relief And Is Likely To Prevail On The Merits
               In order to succeed on the Petition, the Authority had to show that it
had a clear right to relief and is likely to prevail on the merits. See SPTR, Inc. Here,
the merits involve the trial court’s interpretation of whether the Township and the
Authority must renegotiate the Agreement’s terms in light of the School District’s
impending construction of the new elementary school that will add sewage flows to
the Authority’s Treatment System.
               Section 1.03 of the Agreement declares, in relevant part: “[The
Township] shall have the right to deliver to the [Authority f]acilities all wastewater
originating within the Pogue, Pine Tree Village[,] and [High School/Middle
School] service area described in the present Act 537 Plan . . . .” Agreement §
1.03 (R.R. at 124a) (emphasis added). Section 1.05 of the Agreement clarifies that
“the Agreement only contemplated the existing sewer service area of Pogue, Pine
Tree Village[,] and the [High School/Middle School] . . . [,]” and any other sewer

       14
            Pennsylvania Rule of Civil Procedure 1531(a) specifies: “In determining whether a
preliminary . . . injunction should be granted . . . , the court may act on the basis of the averments
of the . . . [complaint] and may consider affidavits of parties or third persons or any other proof
which the court may require.” Pa.R.Civ.P. 1531(a).
                                                 13
project “shall require a new agreement between the parties.” Agreement § 1.05
(R.R. at 125a) (emphasis added). The parties agree that the Act 537 Plan included
the Parcel upon which the High School/Middle School is located and assessed the
value for sewage coming from the High School/Middle School at 16.5 EDUs. The
parties also agree that sewage flows from the High School/Middle School service
area are currently processed at the Authority’s Treatment System, and that the
School District proposes to build the new elementary school on that Parcel.
               However, Appellants argue that the proposed new elementary school is
not a new connection outside the High School/Middle School service area
contemplated by the Act 537 Plan but, rather, it will be located on the High
School/Middle School Parcel, which is already connected to the Authority’s
Treatment System through the Township’s Collection System and for which DEP
has approved 6,956 GPD of total flows.
               The Authority responds that it is entitled to seek a declaration of rights
in anticipation of a contract breach15 that the new elementary school’s connection to
the Authority’s Treatment System would violate Section 1.05 of the Agreement
because it was not part of the existing service area contemplated in the Act 537 Plan.
The Authority further claims that, even if the Agreement is ambiguous on that point,
the Authority’s evidence supported that the parties never intended to include a new
elementary school within the High School/Middle School service area.
               At the trial court hearing, Matincheck testified that since the new
elementary school would be within the High School/Middle School service area, the
School District would not have to create a new connection to the Treatment System

       15
          “[The Authority] sought a declaration under the Declaratory Judgments Act[, 42 Pa.C.S.
§§ 7531-7541,] . . . [.] The longstanding rule is that declaratory judgments are not obtainable as a
matter of right. Rather, whether a court should exercise jurisdiction over a declaratory judgment
proceeding is a matter of sound judicial discretion.” Cutler v. Chapman, 289 A.3d 139, 152 (Pa.
Cmwlth. 2023) (citation omitted).
                                                14
to accommodate the additional flows. See R.R. at 288a, 299a, 302a. He nevertheless
opined that, since the Agreement contemplated only 80 residential EDUs and 16.5
EDUs for the High School/Middle School, and adding a new customer to the
Township’s Collection System would result in increased EDUs, the parties did not
contemplate the new elementary school when they signed the Agreement.16 See R.R.
at 295a-297a.
              Sandra Shoop (Shoop), the Authority’s Board of Directors’ chair,
testified that she attended all of the Agreement meetings and negotiations and voted
to approve it. See R.R. at 308a-309a. She understood that, under the Agreement,
the Township was allotted 96.5 total EDUs (80 residential, and 16.5 for the High
School/Middle School), and an additional agreement is necessary for any project to
exceed 96.5 EDUs. See R.R. at 310a, 326a. Shoop recalled that the Authority
attempted to stop the additional four residential EDUs the Township has since added,
but ultimately decided to be a good neighbor and worked with the Township to add
the connections to the Authority’s Treatment System.
              Shoop declared that when she voted on the 2016 Agreement, the
Authority did not anticipate additional flows to the Authority’s Treatment System
from a new school building on the Parcel and, thus, a new agreement is necessary
for the Project. See R.R. at 311a-312a, 315a, 327a. Shoop added that because the
Township’s average daily flows have increased over the previous two years, the
parties need to revisit the Township’s $2,000.00 monthly payment for 96.5 EDUs,
especially because the Township intends to add another building. See R.R. at 313a-
319a, 326a-327a.

       16
           Matincheck interpreted that the reference to future customers in Section 2.01 of the
Agreement meant properties within the 80 residential EDUs that had not yet been connected at
that time, and adding the new elementary school would add EDUs that require a new agreement
pursuant to Section 1.05 of the Agreement. See R.R. at 297a-300a, 305a.
                                              15
             Shoop described that because Appellants did not give the Authority full
information regarding the Project, she attended school board meetings and attempted
to negotiate a resolution of the issues. See R.R. at 311a, 321a-322a. Shoop disclosed
that the Authority was willing to work with the Township to rectify all of the issues
and negotiate a new agreement, and has approached the Township about doing so
since 2019 or 2020, and even suggested mediation in March 2021. See R.R. at 315a,
319a-323a, 329a-330a.      She explained that, between March 2021 (when the
Authority sent the School District the letter outlining its concerns) and May 2022
(when the Authority filed the Complaint),

             [the Authority] had asked if [the Authority and the
             Township] could work this out a different way. If [the
             Township] could agree to either pay more or do something
             to help [the Authority]. You know, keep [the Authority]
             informed of what is going on. And every time [the
             Authority] ha[s] tried to have [the Township] come to a
             meeting or meet with [the Authority], . . . [the Township]
             did not come. And so [the Authority] just didn’t know
             what else to do. [The Authority] saw the [new elementary]
             school going forward, and [was] very concerned about this
             extra flow of not just the regular [High School/M]iddle
             [S]chool, but three elementary schools going into one big
             elementary school. It’s not just one; it’s three. It’s not just
             one school that is closing. So that’s why [the Authority]
             went ahead and had to go this route.

R.R. at 324a-325a.
             Todd J. McCartney (McCartney), the Authority’s plant manager,
testified that the four additional residential EDUs and a garage were connections
above and beyond the 96.5 EDUs the Authority anticipated under the Agreement;
however, the Authority went along with them because they were smaller connections
(despite that the garage’s output may impact the Authority’s ability to treat the
flows). See R.R. at 343a-344a. McCartney declared based on direct participation in

                                           16
the consent decree process that culminated in the Agreement, that the new
elementary school was not included in the Agreement. See R.R at 345a.
             Wagner confirmed that the “prior approval that [DEP] gave the
[S]chool [D]istrict for the property was for 6,956 [GPD,]” R.R. at 359a, and flow
going to the Authority’s Treatment System within that amount does not require
sewage planning, i.e., “[a]nything that is generated [within the School District’s
defined property borders] would fall under the prior approval that [DEP] gave.” R.R.
at 359a.
             Todd Banks (Banks), engineer at Stiffler McGraw & Associates, which
provides services to the Township, prepared the Act 537 Plan incorporated into the
Agreement. See R.R. at 377a-378a. Banks verified that the Act 537 Plan was based
on calculated sewage flows from 80 residential EDUs and 16.5 High School/Middle
School EDUs, for a total of 96.5 EDUs. See R.R. at 384a-385a. Banks testified that
the Act 537 Plan describes the High School/Middle School service area in the
narrative and depicts it in the appendices. See R.R. at 211a-213a, 378a. Banks
declared that the new elementary school will be built just east of the High
School/Middle School on the same Parcel in the High School/Middle School service
area, and that the School District was fully aware of the Act 537 Plan while planning
the new elementary school. See R.R. at 379a-380a, 385a. Banks stated that, under
the Agreement, the Township’s maximum average daily flow is 26,000 GPD, and
that 28,500 GPD is the trigger for the parties to renegotiate the Agreement. See R.R.
at 386a.
             Kurowski, who has participated in the School District’s planning for
the new elementary school since approximately three and one-half years before the
hearing (i.e., 2019), described that he prepared the sewage facility plan (SFP) upon
which DEP would determine whether the School District had to prepare a sewer
planning module related to the Project. See R.R. at 387a-389a. Kurowski stated
                                         17
that, based on the up-to-date new elementary school estimated staff/student count
and actual flow information (3,057 GPD per day from the High School/Middle
School) in his October 29, 2020 letter to the Township,17 DEP determined that the
High School/Middle School campus’s allocated capacity was 6,956 GPD. See R.R.
at 391a-392a.       Kurowski explained that he reached his 3,899 GPD capacity
calculation by subtracting the High School/Middle School’s then-current use (3,057
GPD) from the 6,956 GPD total capacity DEP allocated to the Parcel, which left
3,899 GPD excess capacity available on that property.18 See R.R. at 393a-394a.
Kurowski articulated that standard elementary school GPD use is 4.31 gallons per
person, the new elementary school staff/student count was 529, and multiplied
together, he arrived at the 2,280 GPD estimate for the new elementary school, which
is consistent with Wagner’s calculation. See R.R. at 395a-396a, 399a. Kurowski
declared that since the 3,057 GPD from the High School/Middle School and the
estimated 2,280 GPD from the new elementary school would not exceed DEP’s
6,956 GPD approved sewage flows for the property, no sewage planning module
was necessary. See R.R. at 395a-397a, 403a-404a.
               Kurowski testified that he based his calculations on average daily flows,
which reflect typical use on the High School/Middle School campus and, although
he acknowledged that there could be peak flow days, such as when there is a football
game, he did not include those in his calculations. See R.R. at 402a. Kurowski also
agreed that flows impact inflow (i.e., inflow of rain/storm water directly into the
manholes and/or Collection System pipes) and infiltration (i.e., groundwater seeping

       17
           Kurowski clarified that the numbers in his October 8, 2019 letter were derived from
estimates, while the October 29, 2020 numbers were based on actual data. See R.R. at 391a-393a.
He explained that it is not uncommon for numbers to change as project planning progresses. See
R.R. at 400a, 406a-407a.
        18
           Kurowski did not adjust the number to account for the additional capacity the Authority
would gain by Rockhill’s closing. See R.R. at 394a.
                                               18
into pipes and manholes) (I&I), which affects how a treatment plant operates, but
stated that his review did not extend to I&I. See R.R. at 403a. Kurowski expressed
that he was not permitted to discuss matters with the Authority for quite some time
during the new elementary school planning process, but there are things the School
District could do to address the Authority’s issues with flows, and if he had been
made aware of the Authority’s difficulties, he could have addressed them. See R.R.
at 404a-405a.
            Based upon the evidence, the trial court concluded that the Authority
was likely to prevail on the merits because the Project was not part of the existing
High School/Middle School service area referenced in the Agreement. The trial
court expounded:

            The [Agreement] between the parties requires a new
            agreement when there is any “further sewer expansion
            project.” As we have observed, the Township’s position
            is that there is no “expansion” contemplated since the new
            [elementary] school is within the “existing sewer service
            area” of the [H]igh [S]chool[/Middle School]. Initially,
            we thought the argument of the Township was convincing
            because it appeared to comport with the plain reading of
            at least one section of the [A]greement. After reflection,
            it has become apparent to us [Appellants’] interpretation
            is at odds with the terms of the [A]greement when the
            [A]greement is taken as a whole. Additionally, the
            Township’s argument flies in the face of common sense.
            Followed to its logical conclusion, the Township contends
            that it or the [S]chool [D]istrict could construct any
            building it chose and of any size as long as it was within
            the [H]igh [S]chool[/Middle School] “service area[].[”]
            Even then, it would not be required to revisit its sewer
            contract unless and until outflow exceeded 28,500 [GPD]
            for two successive quarters. In short, the new construction
            could completely overwhelm the sewerage system before
            the Township was required to so much as talk to the
            Authority.
            While we do not have the benefit of a complete
            understanding of the background of the [A]greement and
                                        19
             while there may be additional testimony which will be
             proffered during our declaratory judgement hearing, based
             on the evidence thus far adduced, we are satisfied for now
             that the new elementary school is not and never was
             intended to be part of the Agreement between the
             parties. . . . Representatives of the [Authority] have
             testified as much. More importantly, at the time the
             agreement was entered into, the High School[/Middle
             School] was assigned an “[EDU] of estimated flow”
             making it clear that there were assumptions which were
             made concerning flows coming from the [H]igh
             [S]chool[/Middle School] itself, and not from other
             buildings.

Trial Ct. Op. at 7-8 (R.R. at 481a-482a) (quotation marks omitted).
             This Court has declared:

             “To establish a clear right to relief, the party seeking an
             injunction need not prove the merits of the underlying
             claim, but need only demonstrate that substantial legal
             questions must be resolved to determine the rights of
             the parties.” SEIU Healthcare, 104 A.3d at 506 . . . . “For
             a right to be clear, it must be more than merely viable or
             plausible . . . .” Wolk v. Sch[.] Dist[.] of Lower Merion,
             228 A.3d 595, 611 (Pa. Cmwlth. [2020]) . . . . “If the party
             has met the other requirements for a preliminary
             injunction and the underlying cause of action raises
             important legal questions, the right to relief is clear.”
             Lieberman Org[.] v. City of Phila[.], . . . 595 A.2d 638,
             640 ([Pa. Cmwlth.] 1990) (emphasis added).

Cutler v. Chapman, 289 A.3d 139, 152 (Pa. Cmwlth. 2023) (bold emphasis added).
             On review, this Court observes that the parties have conflicting
interpretations of the Agreement that significantly affect their legal obligations, and
their evidence appears to compare dislike things. Despite that the Authority’s
witnesses raised concerns about peak flow days, the Agreement consistently refers
to calculations based on average daily flows rather than peak flow days. Moreover,
Section 7.17 of the Agreement specifies that the “Agreement shall not be construed
against [the Township].” R.R. at 131a. Notwithstanding, Section 7.19 of the

                                          20
Agreement authorizes the Authority to seek an injunction if the Township breaches
the Agreement. See id. Under such circumstances, the Authority has raised an
important legal question. Accordingly, this Court will examine the remaining five
preliminary injunction factors to determine whether the Authority is entitled to a
preliminary injunction. See SEIU Healthcare.

            2. Injunction Is Necessary To Prevent Immediate And
               Irreparable Harm That Cannot Be Compensated
               Adequately By Damages
               In order to prevail on the Petition, the Authority had to establish that an
injunction is necessary to prevent immediate and irreparable harm that cannot be
adequately compensated by money damages. See SPTR, Inc. The law is well
established that “[i]njunctive relief will lie where there is no adequate remedy at
law.” Hatfield Twp. v. Lexon Ins. Co., 15 A.3d 547, 552 (Pa. Cmwlth. 2011).
Further, this Court has explained:

               To meet this burden, [the p]etitioner was required to
               present “concrete evidence” demonstrating “actual proof
               of irreparable harm.” Greenmoor, Inc. v. Burchick
               Constr[.] Co., Inc., 908 A.2d 310, 314 (Pa. Super. 2006).
               A claim of irreparable harm cannot be based on
               speculation and hypothesis, and for purposes of a
               preliminary injunction, the harm must be irreversible
               before it is deemed irreparable. Id. at 314; see also Kiddo
               v. Am[.] Fed[’n] of State[, Cnty. & Mun. Emps., Local
               2206] (Pa. Cmwlth.[] No. 468 C.D. 2019, filed Aug[.] 3,
               2020), [slip op.] at [23] (quoting Novak v. Commonwealth,
               . . . 523 A.2d 318, 320 ([Pa.] 1987) [(]stating that “the
               alleged harm or consequences must not be speculative in
               nature and [that] ‘speculative considerations . . . cannot
               form the basis for issuing [a preliminary injunction]’”).[19]

Cutler, 289 A.3d at 154-55.

       19
          Unreported decisions of this Court issued after January 15, 2008, may be cited as
persuasive authority pursuant to Section 414(a) of this Court’s Internal Operating Procedures. 210
Pa. Code § 69.414(a).
                                               21
             Here, Appellants assert that the Authority failed to provide actual proof
of immediate and irreparable harm, let alone harm that could not be compensated by
damages.    They point out that the Authority failed to provide evidence that
connecting the new elementary school will exceed the maximum GPD in the
Agreement. In addition, Appellants claim that the Authority’s data for the second,
third, and fourth quarters of 2021, and the first and second quarters of 2022, clearly
establish, and the Authority acknowledged, that the Township’s flows have never
exceeded the 28,500 GPD limit and, thus, have not triggered Section 4.04 of the
Agreement. Thus, Appellants declare that because they are compliant with the
Agreement’s flow limits, the Authority and the Township need not meet and
renegotiate the Agreement’s sewage treatment fee. Further, Appellants emphasize
that the Authority’s only asserted harms can be compensated by money damages,
i.e., possible monetary penalties from DEP and a belief that the Township is not
fairly paying the Authority.
             The Authority retorts that its evidence was sufficient to persuade the
trial court that immediate and irreparable harm existed to support the preliminary
injunction. The Authority asserts that its flow data was not meant to prove that the
Township is currently exceeding its 28,500 GPD limit, but rather to illustrate how
precarious the situation is for the Authority, the Township’s residents, and the
surrounding public that go far beyond simple monetary damages. In particular, the
Authority sets forth that the School District would proceed to build the new
elementary school at great expense to its constituents, the Township would continue
to add unauthorized connections to the Authority’s already overloaded Treatment
System, thereby jeopardizing the Authority’s continued operation, and risking the
health, safety, and welfare of the surrounding public, and the Authority alone would
be left to face the consequences.

                                         22
             At the trial court hearing, Matincheck testified that the Authority is
currently permitted to treat up to 183,000 GPD. See R.R. at 261a. Matincheck stated
that the Act 537 Plan assumed 25,000 to 26,000 GPD from the Township’s
Collection System, approximately 20% of which (or 5,000 GPD) would come from
the High School/Middle School. See R.R. at 139a, 301a-302a.
             Matincheck described that the Treatment System already takes on
excessive flows from the Township that create flow capacity and treatability issues.
See R.R. at 274a. Matincheck explained that, in addition to sewage flows, I&I also
come from the Collection System and make it to the Treatment System where it is
treated as sewage. See R.R. at 274a-275a. Matincheck recalled that the Authority
has experienced I&I issues since the Township began sending flows to the Treatment
System; specifically, the Authority’s influent flow meter reflects that the Authority
already exceeds the 183,000 GPD limit “at least several days a month[.]” R.R. at
261a. Matincheck estimated that the Authority’s flow meter readings reflected that
the Township exceeded 26,000 GPD for the last few quarters and, on occasion,
exceeded 28,000 GPD, but the Authority cannot tell what part of that the Township
collects from the High School/Middle School. See R.R. at 303a.
             Matincheck stated that the School District’s engineer estimated 2,000
to 3,000 GPD of additional sewage flows from the new elementary school, which he
thought was low considering there were gaps in the School District’s data, the School
District considered flows from only one of the three elementary schools (Rockhill,
which is not currently in the Township) to be combined on the Parcel, and the School
District’s calculations included the summer months when school is out of session
but did not account for peak flow days like when there is a football game after a full
school day. See R.R. at 270a-273a. Matincheck stated that his estimates were 7,000
to 7,800 GPD for regular days and up to 15,000 GPD for peak flow days. See R.R.
at 270a, 273a, 302a.
                                         23
             Matincheck disclosed that DEP may issue notices of violation that
could result in corrective action plans if the Authority exceeds its 183,000 GPD
limit, and that DEP has already asked the Authority to correct the Township’s I&I
problems. See R.R. at 275a-277a. Matincheck added that, notwithstanding that the
Authority does not own the Collection System and lacks the ability to make the
necessary corrections, DEP would cite and fine the Authority rather than the
Township for the excessive flows. See R.R. at 277a-278a. When asked what the
Authority’s next steps would be if it receives flows in excess of 183,000 GPD on a
continuous basis, Matincheck stated that the Authority would potentially have to
modify or upgrade/expand the Treatment System (last done in 2009), and possibly
require clarification and equalization tanks - paid for by the Authority’s ratepayers -
but the Authority lacks the space for such expansion. See R.R. at 278a-279a.
             Matincheck explained:

             [Q.]: . . . Is it your testimony that this new [elementary
             school] building is going to create a flow greater than the
             amount authorized by the 2016 [A]greement?
             [A.]: Potentially.
             [Q.]: What do you mean by potentially?
             [A.]: It could be not every day, but on peak events I think
             there is a potential. On peak school events where you have
             school all day then maybe a football game or
             extracurricular activity. I don’t think that was addressed
             in the 2,000 to 3,000 [GPD] estimate.

R.R. at 304a. Matincheck clarified:

             Q. If you’re looking then at building another school, with
             you estimating 7,000, 8,000 [GPD] on a regular basis,
             would that continue then to increase the issues with the
             [Authority] plant treating the sewage as required by law?
             A. Yes. From a peak standpoint.

                                          24
             Q. Would a regular day then not be as much of an issue as
             if there were a rainy day?
             A. Correct. A regular event, an average event would be
             easier to treat and handle at the plant than a peak event.

R.R. at 275a.
             Shoop confirmed Matincheck’s description of the Treatment System’s
overflow issues when it rains and stated that DEP has tasked the Authority with
resolving the Township’s I&I problems, despite that the Authority has no power over
the Township. See R.R. at 311a-312a. Shoop recalled that the Authority has
nevertheless attempted to assist the Township with the I&I and some progress has
been made, but more progress is needed, particularly because the new elementary
school is “going to definitely be over the amount of sewage permitted for that
particular [P]arcel. . . . [The Authority] can’t handle it.” R.R. at 312a-313a. Shoop
further confirmed that the Authority’s customers would have to pay for any
Treatment System upgrades or improvements; however, the Authority “ha[s] no
more ground available to upgrade at this point[,]” except perhaps to expand
vertically which, she has been informed, is cost prohibitive. R.R. at 320a; see also
R.R. at 313a, 320a, 330a.
             Shoop clarified that additional money is only part of her concern:

             The other part is . . . putting a lot more work and more flow
             onto [the Authority’s] plant that can’t possibly accept it at
             this time. There has to be something else that could
             possibly be done for that purpose. And for [the
             Township], in the [A]greement[,] they were to contact us
             and get our approval for all new advancements and
             anything new coming on. That was not done.

R.R. at 321a. She added that the Authority may not survive the negative impact of
current and future flows. See R.R. at 329a.
             McCartney testified that he oversees the Treatment System’s daily
operation and maintenance under S&L’s license. See R.R. at 332a-333a. He stated
                                          25
that he has monitored the Township’s flows into the Authority’s Treatment System
on weekdays since the Collection System opened in 2016 or 2017. See R.R. at 333a-
335a. McCartney explained that he is also responsible for handling I&I, which
became an issue within the first month or so after the Township connected to the
Treatment System because some of the Township’s lateral pipes pulled apart. See
R.R. at 334a-335a. McCartney described that the Authority assisted the Township
in fixing its issues, but the fixes only worked for a few months. See R.R. at 335a-
336a. He detailed that the Township’s I&I is not a day-to-day problem; however,
when it rains more than an inch, the Township’s flows cause the Authority to exceed
its daily flows, and it takes approximately three days to return to normal.20 See R.R.
at 336a-337a.
               McCartney reported at the hearing that his calculations based on the
Authority’s records of the Township’s average flows for 2021 were 17,922.37 GPD
in the second quarter - April, May, June; 29,686.16 GPD in the third quarter - July,
August, September; and 28,128.70 GPD in the fourth quarter - October, November,
December. See R.R. at 339a. He confirmed that records of the Township’s average
flows for 2022 were of 39,763.75 GPD in the first quarter; and 34,914.86 GPD in
the second quarter.21 See id.; see also R.R. at 235a-236a, 368a-376a.
               McCartney agreed with Shoop that there was no room to expand the
Authority’s Treatment System, and expanding vertically is very expensive. See R.R.
at 340a, 347a-348a. He also confirmed that DEP has issued violation notices to the
Authority for being over its permitted flows. See R.R. at 342a, 349a. McCartney
expressed concern that the addition of the new elementary school will overflow the
Authority’s day-to-day operations. See R.R. at 341a. He expressed that the problem

       20
          McCartney opined that a two-inch rainfall will flood the Authority’s Treatment System.
See R.R. at 341a.
       21
          The Authority’s counsel calculated the figures based on the Authority’s information, and
McCartney agreed that they appeared accurate. See R.R. at 337a-338a, 345a-347a, 349a-350a.
                                               26
could be avoided with equalization tanks that send the flows to the Treatment System
in small amounts on lower flow days, monitoring with School District-specific flow
meters and cameras in the Township’s lines to see the I&I sources. See R.R. at 344a-
345a, 348a.
               Wagner stated that the 2,300 GPD the School District estimated for the
new elementary school’s flows, added to the High School/Middle School’s 3,000
GPD, would not exceed DEP’s approved limit. See R.R.at 361a. Wagner confirmed,
based on the information the School District provided regarding the new elementary
school of 2,300 GPD in proposed new flows, that the School District did not need to
provide more comprehensive sewage planning. See R.R. at 350a, 352a-354a, 358a.
               Sarah J. Rigglesworth (Rigglesworth), water quality specialist
supervisor in DEP’s Clean Water Program’s south central regional office that
monitors the Treatment System, testified that DEP tracks, among numerous other
things, the Authority’s monthly reports of discharge from the Treatment System.22
See R.R. at 363a. She described that the Authority is solely responsible to pay
penalties for violative effluents exiting its pipes.                See R.R. at 366a-367a.
Rigglesworth confirmed that DEP has issued violation notices and assessed fines
against the Authority for exceeding its authorized effluent discharge limits. See R.R.
at 365a.
               Banks declared, based on his calculations for the last three quarters of
2021 and the first two quarters of 2022, the Township’s average flows did not exceed
28,500 GPD. See R.R. at 382a-383a. Banks specified that his calculations based on
the Authority’s records of the Township’s flows for 2021 reflect average flows of
12,467 GPD in the second quarter, 20,599 GPD in the third quarter, and 20,043 GPD

       22
           Rigglesworth detailed: “Typically[,] sewage treatment plants discharge into a creek.
Blacklog Creek. It’s sampled after all treatment. So[,] at [the Authority], there is chlorination,
which would be the last treatment. [The discharge is] sampled after all treatment but before it gets
to the creek.” R.R. at 368a.
                                                27
in the fourth quarter. See R.R. at 382a. He confirmed that records of the Township’s
flows for 2022 showed average flows of 26,346 GPD in the first quarter, and 24,144
GPD in the second quarter. See id.
             Kurowski added that the School District intended to put the new
elementary school project out for bid in August 2022. See R.R. at 398a. When asked
regarding the consequences of granting the injunction, he stated:

             It delays the schedule. The question is how [long] the
             delay is. School projects are geared towards completing
             construction prior to school occupancy in the fall. So[,]
             with an estimated two-year construction period, if we were
             going to start this fall, we would be trying to be in by the
             fall of 2024. If we miss that window, then the only option
             for the school is the school is completed in October of
             [20]24. That doesn’t help anybody. We are not going to
             move in the middle of the year. Potentially you could
             move over Christmas break. Not desirable. That is
             incredibly disruptive for students and staff. Really what
             you’re talking about is if you miss that window, it’s going
             to cost us a year. That means a whole lot of things in terms
             of cost; not to mention just, you know, ongoing
             maintenance issues that have to be dealt with in facilities
             we are trying to replace.

R.R. at 399a.
             Following the hearing, in its post-hearing brief, the Authority revised
its data of the Township’s flows, which showed that the Township’s average flows
for 2021 were 12,467 GPD in the second quarter, 20,599 GPD in the third quarter,
and 20,043 GPD in the fourth quarter. See R.R. at 251a, 442a. The Authority’s
amended exhibit further reflected the Township average flows for 2022 were 26,346
GPD in the first quarter and 24,144 GPD in the second quarter. See id. The
Authority conceded in its post-hearing brief that “these amounts have not yet reached
the 28,500 daily gallon threshold[.]” R.R. at 442a.

                                         28
             The trial court concluded that the injunction was necessary to prevent
immediate and irreparable harm that could not be adequately compensated by
damages, because simply charging the Township additional fees for additional flows
from the new elementary school was neither a full nor complete remedy where
increased flows could overload the Authority’s Treatment System leading to
consequences and emergency upgrades that are impossible to ascertain at this point.
See Trial Ct. Op. at 6 (R.R. at 480a).
             In Norristown Municipal Waste Authority v. West Norriton Township
Municipal Authority, 705 A.2d 509 (Pa. Cmwlth. 1998), this Court affirmed the
common pleas court’s grant of a preliminary injunction compelling the municipal
authority and the township to continue to pay for sewage treatment services pending
resolution of the parties’ breach of contract, quantum meruit, and unjust enrichment
disputes. This Court held that the common pleas court properly determined that the
injunction was necessary to prevent immediate and irreparable harm that cannot be
adequately compensated by money damages because the municipal authority was
contractually bound to continue its services to the township, the flows from the
township treated by the municipal authority represented a sizable portion of the
municipal authority’s operating budget, and the municipal authority did not have the
option of discontinuing treatment services as an inducement for the township to pay
the monies it owed. This Court held: “[F]ailure by [the township] to make payment
would jeopardize the continued operation of the [municipal authority’s] wastewater
plant and pose an unacceptable threat to the health, safety and welfare of the
residents of [the township].” Id. at 512. This Court concluded: “A civil action for
money damages, which might take years to reach conclusion, would not be adequate
to protect the public served by [the municipal a]uthority from the immediate threat
posed by [the township’s] refusal to make payments.” Id. Although distinguishable

                                         29
in that it was based on the township’s refusal to pay fees, rather than adding flow
amounts, Norristown is nevertheless persuasive here.
             The trial court found, and the record supports, that “[t]he Township is
already approaching [its] maximum permitted flows without the construction of the
new elementary school.” Trial Ct. Op. at 4 (R.R. at 478a). This Court’s review
reveals that, although not precisely quantified, the Authority produced sufficient
record evidence for the trial court to determine that the Authority is bound by the
Agreement to accept the Township’s sewage flows from the Parcel. Although
Section 4.04 of the Agreement obligates the Township to install a flow meter
specifically to measure sewage flows from the High School/Middle School, because
it has not done so, the parties can only estimate current flows, and are unable to more
precisely estimate whether flows from the Parcel after the new elementary school is
built may affect the Authority’s Treatment System.          See R.R. at 127a, 333a.
Moreover, the Township has refused to meet with the Authority to discuss the
Authority’s concerns.     If the School District proceeds to construct the new
elementary school, it could end up not being able to use it. Or, if the School District
proceeds to open the new elementary school, and the Township sends the additional
sewage flows to the Authority’s Treatment System while litigation is ongoing and
I&I remains a concern, the Authority could exceed its maximum capacity, and the
Authority would face a financial, environmental, and regulatory crisis that money
could not adequately compensate.
             Based on the foregoing, this Court agrees with the trial court that,
without the injunction, the Authority, the Township, the School District, and
taxpayers are likely to face irreparable harm that cannot be adequately compensated
by money damages.

                                          30
            3. Greater Injury Would Result From Refusing The
               Injunction Than From Granting It, And,
               Concomitantly, The Issuance Of An Injunction Will
               Not Substantially Harm Other Interested Parties In
               The Proceedings; and

            4. An Injunction Will Not Adversely Affect The Public
               Interest
               The Authority also had to prove that greater injury would result from
refusing the injunction than from granting it, the issuance of an injunction will not
substantially harm other interested parties, and an injunction would not adversely
affect the public interest. See SPTR, Inc.
               Appellants assert that the injunction preventing the Township’s
connection of the new elementary school to the Authority’s Treatment System, in
essence, prevents the Project because the new elementary school “would be wholly
unusable if prevented from connecting onto a sewer system.” School Dist. Br. at 21.
Appellants add that, beyond delaying construction and the opening of the new
elementary school, the injunction has resulted in financial hardship because building
material costs continue to rise, and further delay will require re-drafting
specifications and updated permits resulting in increased expense to taxpayers. The
School District further claims that the injunction is preventing it from exercising its
rights under the Public School Code of 1949 (School Code),23 under which the
General Assembly authorized the School District to establish and maintain suitable
school facilities and grounds.
               The Authority contends that greater injury would result to it and the
taxpayers than to Appellants if the injunction is denied because the Township will
be permitted to connect the new elementary school to the Authority’s Treatment
System before the parties’ rights under the Agreement are decided, which would
harm the School District, the Authority, and the general public. In addition, the

      23
           Act of March 10, 1929, P.L. 30, as amended, 24 P.S. §§ 1-101 - 27-2702.
                                               31
Authority asserts that even with the injunction in place, the School District could
proceed with construction and the Township will simply have to wait for the trial
court’s decision in the underlying declaratory judgment action before connecting
flows from the new elementary school to the Authority’s Treatment System.
             The trial court addressed the relative harms and public interest
injunction prerequisites together. It reasoned:

             While we agree that [barring the Township’s sewer
             connection would not delay construction], it is difficult to
             imagine that the School District will or can commence
             construction without a guarantee of an approved sewer
             connection. . . . While it may delay school construction[,
             granting the preliminary injunction] avoids a very real and
             far more serious outcome; namely, the construction of a
             building which becomes unusable.
             In the meantime, the Township can hardly blame the
             [Authority] entirely for the adverse impact an injunction
             may have on [the School District’s] school system. The
             Township, oblivious to the possibility that it may have
             misinterpreted its rights under the 2016 [A]greement, has
             apparently refused all overtures for dialogue with [the
             Authority] during the planning process for the new
             elementary school. [Appellants] might have avoided the
             necessity of the instant proceedings by acknowledging that
             the position taken by [the Authority] was at least of
             arguable merit. Thus, in considering the public interest,
             we are compelled to observe that, to the extent an
             injunction delays a school improvement, responsibility for
             such delay cannot be laid exclusively at the feet of the
             [Authority]. In the meantime, issuance of an []injunction
             avoids a far greater risk to the public; specifically, the
             potential overloading of [the Authority’s Treatment
             S]ystem and whatever financial, environmental, or
             regulatory consequences that would result.

Trial Ct. Op. at 8-9 (R.R. at 482a-483a) (quotation marks omitted).

                                         32
             This Court has held:

             Courts of equity . . . have the power to prevent or restrain
             the commission or continuance of acts contrary to law and
             prejudicial to the interests of the community or the rights
             of individuals. And equity will intervene to restrain acts
             of officials which are contrary to positive law or amount
             to bad faith or constitute a violation of public duty.

Bruhin v. Commonwealth, 320 A.2d 907, 910 (Pa. Cmwlth. 1974).
             Here, although the Agreement specifies that it is to be construed in the
Township’s favor and against the Authority, the Agreement also reflects that the
Township had a public duty to both install a flow meter for the High School/Middle
School service area, and to meet and discuss matters that affected the Authority’s
Treatment System. The Township did neither. Moreover, if the trial court denied
the preliminary injunction and the Township connected the new elementary school
to the Authority’s Treatment System pending the trial court’s interpretation of the
Agreement, the School District, the Authority, and the taxpayers/general public
would face far greater injury than the Township, which would merely continue to
pay the Authority based on the original, lower GPD calculations and, possibly,
overflow the Treatment System without suffering any consequence. Finally, there
is no record basis on which the trial court could conclude that the injunction has
prevented the School District from exercising its rights under the School Code.
             Based on the foregoing, this Court agrees with the trial court that greater
injury would result from refusing the injunction than from granting it, the issuance
of an injunction will not substantially harm the Township, and an injunction would
not adversely affect the public interest.

                                            33
         5. The Injunction Will Properly Restore The Parties To
            Their Status As It Existed Immediately Prior To The
            Alleged Wrongful Conduct

             The Authority also had to prove that the injunction would properly
restore the parties to their status as it existed immediately prior to the alleged
wrongful conduct. See SPTR, Inc. This Court has explained that the status quo

             is “‘the last peaceable and lawful uncontested status
             preceding the underlying controversy.’”             Hatfield
             T[wp.] . . . , 15 A.3d [at] 555 . . . (quoting In Re Milton
             Hershey Sch[.] Tr[.], 807 A.2d 324[, 333] (Pa. Cmwlth.
             2002)). Stated otherwise, one purpose of a preliminary
             injunction is to keep the parties in the same positions they
             had when the case began in order to preserve the [c]ourt’s
             ability to decide the issues before it.
Cutler, 289 A.3d at 154.
             Appellants argue that the Agreement authorizes the Township to add
new customers, and because there was no record evidence triggering modification
of the Agreement (i.e., Appellants did not exceed the GPD limitations), the
injunction deprived the Township of the benefits of their bargain, allowed the
Authority to avoid its contractual obligations, and created a status quo that never
existed. The Authority rejoins that the Township’s plan to add an unauthorized
connection to the Authority’s Treatment System in violation of the Agreement upset
the status quo, and the injunction restored the parties to the last actual, peaceable,
and lawful non-contested status that preceded the controversy. The trial court agreed
with the Authority that “the issuance of a preliminary injunction in this case simply
maintain[ed] the status quo concerning connections to the [Authority’s Treatment
S]ystem.” Trial Ct. Op. at 8 (R.R. at 482a).
             It is clear that the parties’ last peaceable and lawful, uncontested status
was when the Authority accepted sewage originating from the High School/Middle
School on the Parcel. The alleged wrongful conduct is the Township’s proposal to

                                          34
add the new elementary school’s sewage flows to the Authority’s Treatment System
without first meeting to discuss and potentially amend the Agreement. The trial
court’s order prohibited the Township from adding flows from the new elementary
school pending the trial court’s interpretation of the Agreement.24 Accordingly, this
Court agrees with the trial court’s conclusion that the injunction would properly
restore the parties to their status as it existed immediately prior to the alleged
wrongful conduct.

            6. An Injunction Is Reasonably Suited To Abate The
               Offending Activity
               The Authority also had to show that the injunction was reasonably
suited to abate the offending activity. See SPTR, Inc. The law is well settled that
“the court must narrowly tailor its remedy to abate the injury.” Woodward Twp. v.
Zerbe, 6 A.3d 651, 658 (Pa. Cmwlth. 2010).
               Appellants contend that the injunction, in essence, halted the Project on
the mere possibility that the Authority’s Treatment System could overflow during
peak events, when completing the Project and monitoring GPD flows from the
Parcel would remove speculation and help the parties determine whether the
Township will violate Section 4.04 of the Agreement. The Township further avers
that the trial court’s order prohibiting any new connection was overbroad and not
narrowly tailored to address the new elementary school’s connection to the
Authority’s Treatment System. The Authority maintains that the injunction was
reasonably suited to abate the offending activity because it prevented the Township
from taking any action until the trial court determines the parties’ rights under the
Agreement. The trial court held that “the scope of the requested injunction suitably

       24
          Notably, the injunction does not prevent the parties from meeting in the meantime to
discuss their respective positions and arriving at a mutually agreeable solution to their respective
problems.
                                                35
abate[d] any potential harm and whether to immediately commence construction
[wa]s for the School District to decide.” Trial Ct. Op. at 8 (R.R. at 482a).
             Indeed, the trial court’s order enjoined Appellants “from adding any
new connection to the Authority’s [] Treatment System pending further order of [the]
court.” Trial Ct. Op. at 11 (R.R. at 474a). Despite that this litigation is centered
upon the Township adding flows from the new elementary school, in the absence of
a way to measure only flows from the Parcel, and because the Authority’s flow
meters do not distinguish what flows are coming from the Pogue versus Pine Tree
Village versus the Parcel’s service areas, see R.R. at 333a, adding sewer connections
to the Authority’s Treatment System from anywhere in the Township could
irreparably harm the Authority. Accordingly, this Court holds that the trial court’s
order was not overbroad but, rather, was reasonably suited to abate the offending
activity.

                                     Conclusion
             Because this Court agrees with the trial court’s conclusion that the
Authority met the essential prerequisites for the granting of an injunction, the trial
court had apparently reasonable grounds to grant the Petition.            SPTR, Inc.
Accordingly, this Court affirms the trial court’s order.

                                        _________________________________
                                        ANNE E. COVEY, Judge

                                          36
         IN THE COMMONWEALTH COURT OF PENNSYLVANIA

Orbisonia-Rockhill Joint               :   CASES CONSOLIDATED
Municipal Authority                    :
                                       :
            v.                         :
                                       :
Cromwell Township, Huntingdon          :
County, PA and the Southern            :
Huntingdon County School District      :
                                       :
Appeal of: Southern Huntingdon         :
County School District                 :   No. 940 C.D. 2022
                                       :
Orbisonia-Rockhill Joint               :
Municipal Authority                    :
                                       :
            v.                         :
                                       :
Cromwell Township, Huntingdon          :
County, PA and the Southern            :
Huntingdon County School District      :
                                       :   No. 978 C.D. 2022
Appeal of: Cromwell Township           :

                                    ORDER

            AND NOW, this 5th day of January, 2024, the Huntingdon County
Common Pleas Court’s August 15, 2022 order is affirmed.

                                     _________________________________
                                     ANNE E. COVEY, Judge