The Bradford City Water Authority has received its first shipment of new meters and equipment, Steve Disney announced at Wednesday’s meeting.

Disney, executive director of the authority, said they also received eight utility poles to be used for antenna mounting.

“Installation contractor Keystone Utility Systems has been issued a notice to proceed. All coordination associated with scheduling and changing out the authority’s meters will be handled by Keystone Utility Systems,” he explained.

“The authority’s customers will begin to see correspondence from Keystone Utility Systems indicating they are setting up appointment dates and times to change out the authority’s water meters and corresponding transmitters. The correspondence will include toll free phone numbers, email addresses, website and QR codes for scheduling appointments. Convenient appointment times will be available, including evenings and weekends. Installation for residential water meters is estimated at between 15 to 30 minutes.”

The authority approved a payment request to PENNVEST in the amount of $1,195,629 for the first shipment of meters and equipment from EAP, and also included engineering and legal  costs reimbursements.

Disney mentioned a Pennsylvania Department of Transportation box culvert replacement project on Derrick Road, and associated work required by the utility. A bid opening was held Tuesday with four bids received. The low bidder was Continental Construction Inc. at $128,248. With a recommendation from Bankson Engineers, the authority awarded the bid to Continental.

PennDOT plans to replace a box culvert directly in front of Seventh Day Adventist Church with a precast concrete box culvert, Disney explained.

“The authority’s 8-inch water main is within the PennDOT construction limits and will be relocated,” he said. “Temporary and permanent easements are being secured with the property owners affected.”

The PennDOT project will be in 2026, but the authority has to have the main relocated by Oct. 1, he explained.

An update on next year’s West Washington Street corridor betterment project was given as well. Disney said, “The authority has filed an incorporated work request so that PennDOT can create a cost share offer letter. The authority has also set up Bankson Engineers with access to all of the (water and sanitary authorities’) GIS mapping so they can utilize them during their design phase. A Bankson Engineer survey crew is on-site this week to collect data and review PennDOT design files and drawings, with cross sections to begin engineering the project to replace/relocate authority infrastructure in the affected areas.”

As a result of frequent power outages in the area, “The authority is installing a new standby emergency generator at its Harrisburg Run Pump Station that is capable of operating the entire pump station during times of power loss from the incoming power supply.”

Disney explained the station had been on the list for adding standby generators, but “it was moved up in priority due to the power issues in that area. Harrisburg Run will be the fourth pump station to have a new standby generator added into operation by the authority over the last few years.”

A lagoon dredging project at the water treatment plant is going to begin soon. Disney explained,  “At its June meeting, the authority approved WaterSolve LLC to perform hydraulic dredging of the accumulated sludge from the recycle and lower lagoon at the water treatment plant. The pumped sludge will be dewatered into geotextile tubes. Plans are to mobilize equipment beginning July 28.”

For the capital project planned at the plant, the authority is working with Roberts Filters to schedule a pilot test “to provide definitive results of the clarification method proposed utilizing raw water from Bradford’s reservoir sources,” he explained. “Recent correspondence with Roberts Filter Group reveals the pilot trailer should be available in eight weeks.”

In the timber report, Kenny Kane, president of Generations Forestry, gave an update. The authority and Generations Forestry have been working with the Willow Creek Snowmobile Club to plan and coordinate some small connecting trails to provide riding loops across the watershed. A cooperative effort with the Tuna Valley Trail Association has also provided access to the new TVTA Pavilion on Marilla Landing.

The timber blow down salvage operation on Hazelton Mills has been completed, and a new area of timber blowdown south of Hazelton Mills is being taken care of currently. The Interstate Parkway sale is nearing completion and will be closed out, while the Lafayette Timber sale will begin the harvest phase this winter. Herbicide use for invasive species and non-desirables will begin in the next couple of weeks.