Lincoln Township and St. Joseph Township will soon work on a new 30-year agreement for use of the Maiden Lane sewer line now that a settlement in a legal fight over the line has been reached, and that settlement is going to cost Lincoln Township.

The two townships had been battling in court over use of the sewer line owned by St. Joseph Township after St. Joe ended a 1974 agreement that allowed Lincoln Township to use the line. The settlement announced last week, which we’ve obtained from Lincoln Township, will allow for both entities to jointly own the line once the new agreement is reached.

In the meantime, Lincoln Township has agreed to pay St. Joseph Township a total of $634,500 within 30 days to cover past costs tied to the 1974 agreement and its share of repairs and upgrades to Lift Station 12. Moving forward, Lincoln Township will pay $6,500 per month for its use of the sewer line until a new 30-year agreement is reached.

Under the terms of the new, as-yet unreached 30-year agreement, each township will be responsible for 50% of major repairs and capital improvements of the Maiden Lane Sewer line moving forward.

The township supervisors signed off on the agreement last week, ending a multi-year legal fight that had cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.