CLEARFIELD – The Clearfield County Commissioners approved applying for a $500,000 competitive Community Development Block Grant that would construct a waterline extension to serve residents along Buck Run Road in Girard Township at Tuesday’s regular meeting.
The county has committed $100,000 of CDBG entitlement funds to this waterline project, said Lisa Kovalick, the county’s community development specialist. The county’s application is for the Covington Karthaus and Girard Area Authority.
The waterline extension would provide safe and dependable potable water service to 24 households, or 54 persons, along a 9,100-foot stretch that are currently served by private residential wells. These wells have a history of poor water quality from previous mining and lack of water, Kovalick said.
According to her, water contamination has been documented by residential private water testing. She said test results indicate that some private wells are subject to contamination from the on-lot wastewater disposal systems that serve this area.
For example, she said that the coliform bacteria count at one property was greater than 80 per 100 ml. In this area, she said the private wells are also subject to high levels of iron and manganese from past surface and deep mining activities.
In addition to poor water quality, many Buck Run Road residents experience water shortages throughout the year, Kovalick said.
Natural gas drilling has posed a more recent threat of contamination to the private wells in this area, Kovalick said. The county and the CKGAA want to serve the outlying areas at risk with proper water infrastructure.
She said they recognize that not all water systems are destroyed by drilling; however, they want to be proactive to protect both residents and industry.
The commissioners said potable water sources would promote economical and residential growth in this area of the county.
