Lock Haven council authorizes emergency connection to two tested wells, seeks PennVEST funding

Lock Haven city officials and partnering water authorities voted to authorize an emergency supplemental connection that would bring water from two nearby test wells into the municipal system and to submit a "letter of no prejudice" to PennVEST seeking supplemental loan funding for permanent work.

Engineers told the council that the two wells'Matt's Well No. 2 and Quaker Hill'pumped about 500 gallons per minute each during 72-hour tests and produced water of a quality that may require only chlorination before distribution. "These wells are capable of about a million and a half, a day," an engineer said, and turning them on would "cut your demand on Keller Reservoir in half," lengthening the reservoir's usable days while recovery depends on rainfall.

The discussion followed presentations from Mark Glenn (introduced himself at SEG 079) and a consulting engineer who described routing, installation and operational needs. Their plan calls for tying the two wells together, running HDPE pipe roughly 8,000 feet to an existing 16-inch main and installing temporary chlorination and analyzer buildings at entry points. The engineers said pumps would be about 100 horsepower and initially powered by temporary generators until three-phase power could be extended; they estimated pipe and pumps/pitless adapters at roughly $350,000 and $200,000 respectively, and a total emergency-installation estimate close to $1 million.

Officials outlined a short but specific permitting path: an emergency public water supply permit from the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), an emergency certificate with the Susquehanna River Basin Commission (SRBC), railroad approval (Norfolk Southern) for a bore under the track, PennDOT approval for a Young Dale Road crossing (emergency HOP), Wayne Township permission for McKinney Road work, and property agreements with two landowners who had granted access. The engineer cautioned that SRBC emergency certificates frequently return extensive follow-up requests and that pump-test data will need to be compiled quickly.

The council also discussed operations and monitoring. Engineers said groundwater sources typically require less distribution testing than surface-water supplies and described a plan for two-point chlorination with continuous, non-reagent chlorine analyzers, cellular telemetry to report residuals and local alarm systems. Staffing, daily chemical feed checks and local contractors to handle electrical and construction work were identified as items to finalize before system activation.

Funding was addressed: the city will likely pay interim costs, with the possibility of capitalizing permanent piping and equipment through a supplemental PennVEST loan if the authority approves a letter of no prejudice. An unidentified participant said a PennVEST specialist indicated the board could consider such a request at its next meeting if a letter and cost outline are submitted by the stated deadline.

The council voted to adopt the amended motion to implement the emergency water supply and to authorize submission of a PennVEST letter of no prejudice. Roll call recorded yes votes from Council member Johnson, Council member Missouri, Council member Stevenson, Council member Brinker, Council member Burns and Mayor Law.

The city's staff and consultants said delivery of pipe, pumps and VFDs is in the order-of-weeks; with emergency approvals and expedited procurement, engineers estimated a month to two months to install and commission the temporary connection, noting cold weather and holidays could delay work. The council directed staff to proceed with required permit filings and to coordinate next steps with the filtration authority and suburban partners.

The emergency authorization is intended to be temporary: engineers said most temporary equipment and pipeline sections could be reused later in a permanent installation, and a separate planning process would determine permanent right-of-way alignments and final ownership arrangements.