Nelson Township dedicates new $1.7 million water treatment plant

(photo by Sharon Corderman) Alice Doan performed the ribbon cutting for the new water treatment facility in Nelson Township. The facility was dedicated to the memory of Loren Doan, who was an influential and driving force in Nelson Township Authority for many years. A dedication plaque to Doan was placed on the front wall of the building. Holding the ribbon is Michael Patrick, Nelson Township Authority chairman, on left, and (L-R) Brenda Arnold, Vicky Wiles and Priscilla Price, NTA board members. The ribbon cutting and dedication ceremony took place Oct. 18.

With a water treatment facility that could easily accommodate double or triple the demand it is currently supplying, Nelson Township Authority (NTA) is ready for any future development or expansion that may occur. There are 121 customers on the system now, with an average daily demand of 21,700 gallons. A water storage tank under the building stores 20,000 gallons and the system can process 43,200 gallons per day. The water is pumped to the storage tower on demand.

The plant has a design life of 25 - 30 years but project engineer Michael Peleschak said that "with the way it is being used, it will last a lot longer than that." Much can change in that amount of time, including potential development as a result of the I-99 corridor that will be completed within the next few years. Nelson Township will now have the capability to meet the water needs, not only of their own customer base, but new commercial and residential customers that would result from growth in the area.

The old system depended upon two wells and was constructed in 1979. There were persistent problems with low water supply and a high amount of iron in the water. Times of drought necessitated trucking in water to meet demand, even with mandatory measures in place to conserve water.

The new system uses the Cowanesque River as the primary source of supply, although the two wells are connected to the system and could be used if needed. The water, after being drawn from the river, percolates through a bed of stone, into pipes, then into a wet well, finally going through the treatment plant. Enough water can be stored to last five days if water intake from the river would need to be shut off for any reason. The system is completely automated. The project was completed on schedule and under budget and the plant went online in late January.

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