Managing director of sewer authority retires

Jerry Brown oversaw sanitary sewer system for 30 years

By Andrea Iglar

This February marks 60 years since the formation of the Municipal Authority of the Township of South Fayette.

Jerry Brown was there for half its history.

Brown spent more than 30 years overseeing the community’s public sanitary sewer system. On Dec. 31, he retired from his position as managing director.

Jerry Brown

Photo by Andrea Iglar

Ken Chambon, chairman of the authority board, said Brown’s rapport with partner organizations, plus his knowledge of the industry, has earned the municipal authority a good reputation.

“We’re known as one of the better authorities around, and it’s because of his leadership,” Chambon said.

Brown, who has lived in South Fayette since 1989, plans to enjoy more leisure time at his cabin near Somerset in the Laurel Mountains, where he grew up. He also plans to travel, complete home projects and spend time with his adult children, Dan, Matt, Mark and Amber.

Brown announced his retirement a year in advance, providing ample time to develop a transition plan.

Rather than directly replace Brown’s position, the authority established dual management positions that will report directly to the five-member citizens board—operations manager and office manager.

Both positions were internal promotions. Operations manager Nick Goettman has 12 years of experience in field operations, while office manager Jamie Summers has worked in billing and customer service for 22 years.

The staff also includes four full-time field employees, plus one full-time and three part-time customer service agents.

Formed on Feb. 10, 1963, to create a sanitary sewer system, the municipal authority operates a system of pipes and pumps that conveys about 2 million gallons of wastewater a day from South Fayette to the Allegheny County Sanitary Authority (ALCOSAN) sewage treatment plant in Pittsburgh.

The municipal authority in South Fayette is an independent organization that is separate from the township government. Revenues come from customer billing, new connection fees and an occasional grant—not from tax money.

Brown became familiar with the authority when he was working on sewer-related projects at engineering firms, having previously earned an associate degree and taken engineering courses.

In August 1988 he was hired to manage the authority. In 2009, he left to work for an environmental nonprofit but returned three years later at the request of the board. He stayed until retirement.

As the township grew and developed over the years, Brown managed major sewage system expansions, seeing an average of 106 new customers added each year.

In 2022, the authority served 7,189 customers (6,914 homes, 264 businesses and 10 public entities). That’s more than double the number when Brown started his job.

Brown said that during his tenure, he planned for future growth with the big picture in mind.

He cooperated with individuals, developers, neighboring communities, the authority board and outside agencies to ensure efficient, cost-effective expansion and maintenance.

“In a nutshell,” Brown said, “I think just the ability to do those things is probably what I strived to do over the years.”