The Bradford City Water Authority heard a report on the progress
of the $2.9 million Marilla Dam rehabilitation project at Tuesday’s
meeting.

Executive Director Kim Benjamin gave a slide show presentation
on several ongoing projects, including Marilla, the water line
extension to Bradford Regional Airport, Bon Aire Tank repairs, an
extension to the Shonts Trailer Park and the interconnection to the
Lewis Run Borough water system.

During the slide show, Benjamin showed where at Marilla
contractors have been working most recently, clearing trees and
making way for the new concrete structures.

A new slope will be created and new walls installed. The trees
cleared out of the way have been chipped, Benjamin showed, and will
be used along the new trail system.

The dam rehabilitation was announced last year after the Federal
Bureau of Dams said the 100-year-old reservoir was not structurally
sound. Construction started this spring, and is expected to be
finished by late fall of this year.

A relatively new material for concrete construction
-ðroller-compacted concrete – will reportedly be used in the
Marilla project. Bob Cummins Construction Co. of Bradford was
awarded the bid for the project at the board’s May meeting, bidding
$2,941,210.

In other business, Benjamin reported the Lewis Run Borough
emergency interconnection agreement drafted by the water authority
and solicitor Fred Gallup was sent back to the water authority in
mid-June.

Some of the changes requested by Lewis Run officials were made,
but some could not be, Gallup said. A revised draft of the
agreement was approved by the authority Tuesday morning, along with
permission for the appropriate authority officers to take action
regarding the agreement.

The borough has been involved in an ongoing situation regarding
water service, the closure of a contaminated well by the state
Department of Environmental Protection, the partial construction of
a supplemental well by the DEP – a project the agency has since
abandoned – and most recently, an interconnection with the
authority for emergency situations.

A picture of the completed interconnection was shown during the
slide show.

Also at the meeting, Benjamin said the extension to Bradford
Regional Airport is complete. Water service has been available to
the airport for about two weeks.

The extension runs from the intersection of Route 59 and Big
Shanty Road to the intersection of Route 59 and U.S. Route 219.
There are about 12 residences along that stretch, with water
authority crews actively connecting them and taking related
applications, Benjamin said.

Regarding another extension project along Route 59, Benjamin
reported the lines to the Shonts Trailer Park have been installed,
as well as meters. The system has been tested and the authority is
ready to deliver water anytime. There are about 20 trailers run
through a master meter there.

Officials are currently waiting on a pipeline transfer agreement
to be signed by the appropriate parties, Benjamin said, noting the
system will be owned by the water authority when officially in
use.

Also, the repairs to the Bon Aire storage tank on Bon Aire Road
are nearly complete, Benjamin said, adding workers from Utility
Service Co., have to apply one more coat of paint before the
project is complete.

The finished 200,000-gallon steel holding tank should last
another 10 years with these repairs, Benjamin said.

In other business, the authority awarded a timber bid to Shelter
Lumber Co. Inc. of Waterford for the West Branch Watershed Tiber
Sale, Compartment #1. Shelter Lumber was the high bidder at
$425,868.

Lastly, the 2005 annual Water Authority Drinking Water Quality
Report has been released, showing once again the city water “is
safe and exceeds federal and state requirements.”