The drinking water around the Bradford area is safe to drink, for another year.
The Bradford City Water Authority reported the results of its 2016 drinking water quality report during a meeting Wednesday. The report was completed and posted May 15.
“All drinking quality parameters and benchmarks were achieved,” authority officials report. “On the monitoring parameters, our independent laboratory had an incubator temperature failure in October 2016, which invalidated one set of our routine collection samples.”
The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection issued a failure to monitor violation because the timeframe to re-sample passed by the time the laboratory had discovered the problem.
“This situation was beyond our control and was no fault of the Bradford City Water Authority,” officials said. “There was absolutely no issue with the quality of the water and the public was at zero risk due to this isolated event.”
The report is available at www.bradfordwater.com/ccr.html, at the water authority office at 28 Kennedy St. or the city treasurer’s office at 24 Kennedy St.
The meeting also included an update on work that is ongoing on the fishing pier and canoe launch projects at the Marilla and Gilbert reservoirs.
M&M Construction of Johnsonburg is continuing to work at the Gilbert Reservoir, though the weather has slowed progress, authority officials said. The foundations are set, and deck work is beginning. On June 6, the reservoir will begin to be refilled.
Meanwhile, work at the Marilla Reservoir will commence after the Gilbert Reservoir project.
“Water levels at Marilla Reservoir will need to be lowered several feet to allow foundation installations,” officials said.
Also at the meeting:
• The authority accepted a $438,355 bid from Chivers Construction Co. of Fairview for a 20-inch main line relocation at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford. Four bids were submitted for the project.
The project, expected to start within 30 days, involves line rerouting from underneath the Kessel Athletic Complex. The work is being paid for by Pitt-Bradford.
That complex was the site of a water main break last year.
• The authority accepted a $640,600 bid from RAM Forest Products Inc. of Shinglehouse for 962,910 net board feet of marked sawtimber and 567 cords of pulpwood from authority property at Hidden Valley. Seven companies submitted bids.
• An update was heard on bridges in Foster Township. Klinginsmith Enterprises Inc. is progressing well at Derrick and Olean roads with main line relocations. A final hookup was expected today at Derrick City and a final hookup is also during the week of Memorial Day for Olean Road.
• The authority accepted a $2,575 bid from Patrick Shannon of Bradford for a 1998 Hudson equipment trailer.
