The Department of Environmental Protection’s Small Drinking Water Systems Engineering Services Program recently helped two systems resolve problems and improve service to meet the needs of their customers.

Austin Borough Waterworks is a small water system in Potter County serving approximately 561 people. ABW’s primary source of drinking water has been classified as groundwater under the direct influence of surface water and its secondary and backup sources are not capable of supplying enough water to meet the demand of the community.

Because of water quality and quantity issues, ABW has been forced to implement water conservation measures.

The Engineering Services Program completed a feasibility study and determined that the best solution was to construct a water treatment facility capable of filtering ABW’s combined existing sources.

The program completed design of an innovative treatment technology and submitted funding applications to PENNVEST and Potter County for a Community Development Block Grant. ABW recently received a $937,000 PENNVEST grant and an $116,000 Community Development Block Grant.

The new system will be constructed this year allowing ABW to provide the community with safe drinking water and bringing them into compliance with the Safe Drinking Water Act.

In Tioga County, Nelson Township Authority, a small water system serving approximately 287 people, had two wells with high iron and manganese and low volume, not capable of meeting the demand of the community. NTA typically spends nine months of the year under voluntary or mandatory conservation measures.

The Engineering Services Program completed a feasibility study and determined that the best solution was to construct a water treatment facility capable of filtering water from a new surface water source capable of meeting NTA’s demand.

The program designed a water filtration plant and submitted funding applications to PENNVEST and Tioga County for a Community Development Block Grant. NTA received a $571,000 PENNVEST grant, a $356,000 low interest loan, and a $90,000 Community Development Block Grant.

The new system will be constructed this year allowing NTA to provide the community with a sufficient quantity of safe drinking water.

For more information on DEP’s Small Drinking Water Systems Engineering Services Program, contact Walt Harner at 717 787-0122 or e-mail wharner@state.pa.us .

3/31/2006