Although overall water delinquencies were reported to have decreased slightly over the month of June, at the meeting on Wednesday, Steve Disney, executive director of the Bradford City Water and Sanitary authorities, urged residents to apply for help through Pennsylvania’s Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP) as soon as possible, and before the deadline of Aug. 11.
The funding from the program, created by the American Rescue Plan Act, had been depleted as of June. However, Disney reported that Pennsylvania had received an additional $5 million in federal funding.
“With the additional funds, which can be used to pay water and wastewater bills, the LIHWAP application has been reopened,” he said. “The funds will go fast, as the program is across all of Pennsylvania — nothing is designated to just our area.” The previous amount from the funding was $43.2 million, he added.
Qualifying households can apply for the one-time grant and if approved, the utility payments will be made directly to the utility company. Local customers can apply at the McKean County Assistance Office on Chestnut Street in Bradford.
Temporary pressurized water storage tanks will be put in place on Monday as the Big Shanty storage tank rehabilitation project begins. Crews are expected to start the rehab on Aug. 6 by draining the 395,000 gallon tank, washing it out, and thoroughly inspecting it before caulking seams, inside and out, repairing any found leaks, and placing corrosion protection with new anode bars. The full project is expected to take at least 30 days, according to the director. See the full press release on this project in today’s paper.
An update on the lead abatement project was a topic of the meeting as well. Mortimer’s Excavating continues to work on connecting and installing individual services along School Street, with an expected time of completion of two weeks. They will address Jackson Avenue afterward. Paving crews are working near Jerome and Burnside avenues, and asphalt restoration is complete on High and Congress streets.
“Chivers is all done,” said the director. “Mortimer’s will have an additional six weeks beyond School Street, so in total, about two months and they should be done.”
Mortimer’s also completed the construction phase of a water main replacement on U.S. Route 219, and has only final paving and minor dirt restoration work to complete. “This eliminates one of the highest problematic areas of old ductile iron water main and greatest risk of property damage along this stretch,” Disney explained.
Disney also reported that he received, by certified mail, copies of applications from Cline Oil Inc., to drill three conventional oil wells. All of the wells are to be located on the hillside above Prospect Street and within 3,000 feet of the BCWA finished water reservoir #4.
“Reservoir #4 is an in-ground, 3.5 million gallon treated water reservoir,” Disney explained. “It will not be affected by drilling; it is not a surface water reservoir.” Disney added that one well will be located on Authority property and two wells will be located on the surface of property owned by Virginia Comilla.
