By Courtney L. Anderson
SHARPSVILLE — Sharpsville’s water treatment plant shut down for good last week and customers in the borough and part of South Pymatuning Township are now getting water from Aqua America’s Sharon plant.
While the change will take care of water quality violations issued by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, outgoing Sharpsville borough manager Michael G. Wilson said it may not mean folks’ water will look any better.
“As far as dirty, crusty water, that’s going to continue” in places because it’s a product of aging water main pipes, Wilson said.
The borough has secured loans and grants totaling about $5 million so far to replace about 25 percent of the mains in Sharpsville, said Assistant Borough Manager Ken Robertson, who’ll take over when Wilson retires at the first of the year. Robertson said that outdated lines need to be replaced throughout town but officials have set no timeline for such an overhaul.
“We need to make sure that the people get a good product for what they’re paying for water service,” Robertson said. “We’ve come a long way and we have a long way yet to go.”
At this point, there’s no increase in water bills for residents but officials have said a hike of as much as 27 percent could be needed down the road to repay the PENNVEST loan.
Robertson said council will be assessing the situation throughout 2010.
The final gallon of water produced by the plant went to South Pymatuning, township public works employee Burt DeVries said. He took a few photographs of plant operator Denny Fry turning off all the valves and switches to mark the occasion.
South Pymatuning Township has built a booster station near the borough line to pump water to the 150 plus customers in the township. They have also said there are plans to expand the water lines; an extension on Hunter Street was just completed and added about 15 homes.
DeVries said the switchover “seems to be going smooth.”
Wilson said that no employees lost their jobs through the Aqua deal. Retirements left openings for the two remaining water plant workers to move into the street department, he said.
Robertson said there are no firm plans for the water plant building but there’s been some interest in it. He said he couldn’t speculate whether the borough might sell it or raze it now that it’s offline.
A divided council in May 2008 voted 4 to 3 to accept an offer from Aqua America to buy bulk water to get the borough back into compliance with state regulations. Aqua supplies water to the rest of the Shenango Valley.
Sharpsville leaders faced the choice of building a new plant, an option that proved too expensive, or hooking up with a commercial supplier.
Several years ago voters overwhelmingly rejected a plan to sell the town’s water system to Aqua for $7 million.
