Jm Thorpe water supply

Jim Thorpe Water Supply

For at least 100 years the east side of Jim Thorpe obtained its water from a reservoir in the Germantown section.

Late in the past century they were forced to abandon this surface water supply and look for a new source. Luck was with the town when a well was drilled very close to the existing pump house and hit a mother load of clean, pure water.

With this stroke of luck you would think the town would do everything in its power to protect the well. However, in the past couple of years the water company has been working on its water lines and trucking the soil and dumping it on top of their well, feet away from the well head.

When I first saw this sludge, I was appalled and appeared before a Jim Thorpe council meeting asking them to stop this dumping and put it somewhere else. I was told the soil was clean fill and was tested before it was dumped on the well. I knew this answer was "NONSENSE!"

This well is located on a patch of virgin land, unspoiled by man's folly, yet for the past couple of years the water company has cut down trees, destroyed laurels and covered grassy areas with this cruddy "clean fill" dug out from under the streets of Old East Mauch Chunk.

When I was a kid growing up I remember almost every old car was leaking oil, antifreeze or transmission fluids. I am sure some of this made its way down to the clean fill, and who knows what will leach into the Eastside well.

My advice to the borough is "STOP THIS DUMPING!"

Like the old mafia guy said, "Why take a chance?" Dump it somewhere else.

Bill Malatak

Germantown