Response to water concerns shared in West Penn

West Penn Township board of supervisors continues to discuss water concerns.

Board Chairman Tony Prudenti read a letter Monday submitted by outgoing township Supervisor Ted Bogosh who said that at the request of resident Ted Rosen, he called the Delaware River Basin Commission project review official.

Bogosh said the official said a USGS well in the Fort Franklin area has been monitoring ground water for over 30 years. The Fort Franklin wells are well below DRBC monitoring requirements; are required to report their water withdrawal to DEP; and their consumption can be viewed by logging in to the DEP website.

Any approved increases above 100,000 gallons per day will result in monitoring, as the DRBC does have the authority to restrict ground water withdrawal if drought or problems occur, according to Bogosh.

“We are outside of the area that requires a drought management plan and with funding cuts, we are not likely to be added,” Bogosh said.

Bogosh added that the DRBC does not monitor small local springs and streams, but does monitor major waterways. By measuring the mouth of rivers, the agency is able to assess ground water conditions.

“(The DRBC project review official’s) statements are the same as in previous communication with him, and I believe there are adequate checks in place to ensure a safe, reliable and monitored water supply for our township,” he said, adding that the DRBC and DEP respond to complaints about well problems, spring water reduction and stream flow problems locally. “To micromanage DRBC and DEP is a waste of township funds, and a lack of trust in state and federal authorities.”

Bogosh said complaints about water can be presented to DRBC and DEP directly or through the township office.

“We have a well ordinance in place that is very restrictive,” he said. “We do not have authority to regulate well water withdrawals, and we do not have the staff or equipment to monitor wells that are already reporting their water flow.”

Bogosh noted that all new wells are recorded at the Schuylkill County courthouse.

Last month, township solicitor Paul J. Datte said that the township’s water extraction ordinance should be finalized within the next few months.

It could be slated for the first quarter of 2020 for final adoption.

Curtin & Heefner LLP Attorneys at Law are reviewing the draft water extraction ordinance and assisting the township in determining the best options for resolution of water extraction issues.

The West Penn Township Water Resource & Planning Steering Committee and planning commission recommended authorizing attorney Jordan Yeager’s firm and hydrogeologist Phil Getty to make revisions to the draft water extraction ordinance.

The committee recommended incorporating any use that results in more than 1,000 gallons per day, with considerations for multiple wells or developments on a particular property and sensitivity to the farm community.

They should also consider truck traffic and use, and costs and fees to the township.