PINE GROVE - Residents at two retirement communities and a personal care home in Pine Grove Township will be drinking bottled water for the next few days, but the problem in the water well has been repaired and measures are being taken to make sure it doesn't happen again.
The three communities rely on a well for water. After a black discoloration was noticed in the water June 24, residents at Swatara Village, a 140-home community with about 220 residents; Swatara Creek, a 12-home community with 19 residents; and Waterbridge at Pine Grove, a personal care home, have been under a boil-water advisory.
John Stahl, chairman of the Pine Grove Township Authority, said Friday that a leak was found in a pipe only about 100 feet from the well. It was repaired earlier this week, he said.
"The problem itself isn't extraordinary but because of the people that live in these communities, it has gotten a lot of attention," Stahl said. "It's tough because sometimes they don't understand the advisory."
The well will not be put into operation, however, until two separate tests, 24 hours apart, are completed, as required by the state Department of Environmental Protection. Stahl also said a backup generator is being repaired, which needs to be done before the well is turned back on.
Stahl said he hopes to have residents drinking the water again sometime next week.
He said an eight-inch sewer line was found crossing right over the three-inch water line where the leak was found.
"The pressure over the years eventually caused it to crack, who knows when," Stahl said. "This well could no longer keep up with the loss of water."
Even after fixing the leak, Stahl said the well, which holds 35,000 gallons, may still be approaching its limit.
"We've been spending a lot of time and money trying to get a reliable second source online," Stahl said.
DEP granted approval to temporarily use a second well in the village for bathing, washing clothes or flushing toilets, but it can only be used for drinking after boiling the water.
The second well, which holds 70,000 gallons, is still waiting on an operation permit from DEP.
"Unfortunately, we've been in that process with DEP for about a year and half," Stahl said.
Stahl said the well was drilled about eight years ago but when the township took over the retirement village in 2011, it had to reapply for the permit.
"We didn't hear from DEP until Thursday," Stahl said.
Before the second well can go into full operation, Stahl said it must run 5,000 gallons through a filter and have a DEP lab analyze it.
He said a decision has yet to be made if the communities want to stay on the second well or switch back to the first one, which can supply about half as much water. Stahl said he hopes to have public participation taken into consideration before a decision is made.
Meanwhile, the township is moving forward with plans to install a 100,000-gallon tank across Route 443 as a reserve for the system. The tank would hold a three-day reserve supply for the system.
"The tank gives us extra capacity to meet our current demand and if it goes well, we won't have to worry about a storm. If anything fails, we still have water," Stahl said.
Stahl said the plan also includes extending the water line 4,000 feet and putting seven fire hydrants in the area. Construction is set to begin July 12 and a state H20 Grant is being used to fund the project.
"Hopefully, in the next three or four months, we have the tank and those pipes put in," Stahl said.
Not only would this decrease fire insurance for residents and nearby businesses, Stahl also said it could encourage commercial development in the area.
"Development is still waiting on public water supply. Before coming in, (businesses) would always ask 'Do you have a public water supply?' That always kills the deal," Stahl said. "It's essential to hook up the businesses and extend across the road."
All the businesses in the area, including restaurants and three hotels, had to drill their own wells for water, Stahl said.
The borough almost extended its water lines into the township several years ago.
After the Pine Grove area was hit hard by several storms in 2006, about $1 million federal grant was available for the project, Stahl said. He also said McDonald's was going to contribute $20,000 to the project and the Hampton Inn, which was still under construction at the time, would have contributed the $50,000 it cost to drill its own well.
"The borough refused to cooperate and someone else got the money," Stahl said.
Larry Dubbs, the current borough council president, said he wasn't sure if the grant was a state or federal program, but the council at the time decided not to extend the water lines. Dubbs was not a member of the council at that time and did not know the reasoning behind the decision.
"My personal opinion, I have no problem trying to extend the line. The problem is the cost," Dubbs said.
Dubbs said borough engineer, Heath M. Machamer of OTM LLC, Pine Grove, told the board that extending the water line would actually be in the best interest of the borough.
"I, for one, have no problem helping out the community," Dubbs said. "Unfortunately, at this point in time, it's not a high priority. Hopefully, if we can get control of the flooding problem and mitigation, we can possibly spend more time on it."