PAWC touts progress at East Dunkard water treatment plant
Troubled water authority under receivership plan after system wide failure in October
When Pennsylvania American Water Company workers first entered the East Dunkard water treatment plant to take over operations in early February, they weren鈥檛 quite sure what problems they would be facing.
A malfunction at the facility in late October forced the plant to be shut down for several days, leaving the more than 4,200 people in the system without water and prompting state regulators to ask PAWC to take receivership of the troubled authority.
PAWC had already agreed to purchase the East Dunkard Water Authority for $5 million last summer, but now the company and its workers were being thrust into an emergency situation when they took control of the system Feb. 9 after the receivership was approved through a court order.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a good little plant,鈥� said Tim Patterson, who works for PAWC and now serves as the facility鈥檚 interim operations manager. 鈥淚t just needed some upgrades.鈥�
Nearly two months after coming in, PAWC officials said they鈥檙e encouraged by the progress to get the plant functioning properly after residents complained for years of poor water quality and unreliable service.
While some residents were leery of PAWC moving in, company spokesman Tom Meinert said they鈥檝e tried to be transparent with customers about the changes while also giving them tools to learn more about the upgrades. He pointed to regular updates on EDWA鈥檚 Facebook page and website, along with direct mailers and phone alerts.
鈥淚 think communication is a big part of it, customer outreach,鈥� Meinert said. 鈥淓veryone here is focused on improving the system. That will come in time (with) a lot of investments and hard work.鈥�
Part of that process included a tour last week of the water plant on Route 88 near Dilliner in which PAWC officials explained to a reporter the entire treatment process, along with how they鈥檝e gone about making upgrades to the facility over the past two months.
The improvements span from the intake pipe that brings in water from the nearby Monongahela River to pipeline repairs in the distribution system, and everything in between. As part of the sales agreement in July, which still must be approved by the state Public Utility Commission, PAWC also agreed to invest $17 million to make upgrades to the system once it takes ownership.
The treatment plant can take in up to 550 gallons of water per minute, but the PAWC team has ratcheted that number down to between 375 and 400 gallons per minute since they are running the operation continuously 24 hours a day. In March, the workers only shut down the plant on two separate occasions for a total of less than an hour. Before PAWC took over, the plant often would be shut down numerous times each day.
鈥淚t really stresses the plant when you shut it down,鈥� said Ryan Hardgrove, who serves as water quality manager.
The simple explanation on how treatment works is that the plant takes in raw water from the Monongahela River, pumps it into a clarifying pool to remove the sediment and sludge before moving into one of four filters. The water is then disinfected and pumped out of the facility and up a hillside to the 鈥淕riffin鈥� tank before it鈥檚 distributed to the rest of the system.
Hardgrove admitted they鈥檙e still dealing with turbidity issues, which measures the clarity of the water. But they鈥檙e continuing to make upgrades as they learn the nuances of the plant.
鈥淓very day is a surprise,鈥� Patterson said. 鈥淥nce you think you know what鈥檚 going on, something else shows its face.鈥�
鈥淚 think surprises are part of the process,鈥� Hardgrove added.
Some upgrades have been relatively rudimentary, such as improved pipes to accept chemicals from delivery trucks and installing electronic gauges so workers know when they need to order more rather than just 鈥渆yeballing鈥� the levels by shining a flashlight onto the translucent holding barrels.
Patterson said they鈥檝e had a good experience training the plant鈥檚 eight workers, who have all been retained. He thinks the supervision and knowledge they鈥檙e getting from PAWC鈥檚 experts is helping them to learn how to operate the plant properly.
鈥淚t was trial by fire. Unfortunately, there were a lot of fires,鈥� Patterson said of how the plant was operating before PAWC took control. 鈥淟uckily, we were able to help them out so we can make some upgrades.鈥�
鈥淭he employees were so willing to learn and happy to have their questions answered,鈥� said Tiffany Reed, who serves as senior manager of operations for this region.
During the tour of the plant last week, PAWC officials showed how they have been working to replace each of the four filters, which should be completed by the end of the month and will help with the turbidity issues. They also explained how regular maintenance is needed to allow water to flow through the various 鈥渕edia鈥� filtration layers. The workers should be using a 鈥渂ackwash鈥� process every three days to clean the media layers, although Patterson said the plant was doing it more often than that before, which actually caused more harm than good.
鈥淭hat way, the filters aren鈥檛 stressed,鈥� Patterson said of the 72-hour backwash runs they鈥檙e currently performing. 鈥淵ou get a better run time.鈥�
In Hardgrove鈥檚 lab that tests the water quality before it leaves the plant, a 鈥渂ench analyzer鈥� has been installed as a backup to the online analyzer that sends regular reports to the state Department of Environmental Protection.
鈥淲e鈥檙e in constant contact with the regulators right now,鈥� Hardgrove said.
After performing daily and even minute-by-minute reports that are sent to the DEP, the operation will soon be able to scale back to monthly reports that are more typical.
鈥淚t鈥檚 good news,鈥� Patterson said of the DEP beginning to loosen its daily requests for data as the plant makes improvements. 鈥�(The workers) aren鈥檛 just running the plant and chasing it. They鈥檙e doing what needs to be done by DEP (standards).鈥�
DEP spokeswoman Lauren Camarda said PAWC 鈥渉as complied with orders issued to EDWA by or ahead of the deadlines prescribed in the orders鈥� as detailed in the receivership plan.
鈥淎lready, PAWC has applied for and received emergency permits from DEP for necessary repairs,鈥� Camarda said in a written statement. 鈥淒EP will continue to closely monitor the system and remain in contact with PAWC as it plans projects and applies for permits for additional treatment and distribution system improvements.鈥�
One of the reasons the receivership was turned over to PAWC is because the plant didn鈥檛 have a certified operator, which is required by the DEP. Patterson serves in that capacity now, but with enough training, tenure and accreditation, some of the current workers could eventually fill that role. When PAWC first took over in February, a dozen of its workers regularly came to the plant to help, but they鈥檝e been able to lower the amount of manpower as the East Dunkard employees learn the protocols and begin to stand on their own.
鈥淭he thing with PA American Water, we have such a large team with knowledge,鈥� Patterson said. 鈥淭he good thing is, the people who are here 鈥� the Dunkard team 鈥� want to make it right. Who do you call if you don鈥檛 have anyone to call? They are learning with us now.鈥�
鈥淚t鈥檚 been a huge team effort,鈥� Hardgrove added.
Of course, there have been some hiccups along the way.
Last month, numerous East Dunkard customers reported discolored water coming from their taps. PAWC flushed the lines and the problem was rectified after a few days. Officials are now planning to do another 鈥渉eavy flush鈥� of the entire system this spring that will hopefully remove any additional sediment and produce clear water moving forward.
Tim Berdar, who serves as distribution manager, lives across the Monongahela River in New Salem, so he considers himself somewhat of a local. He鈥檚 attended fish fries in East Dunkard over the past two months in order to meet with residents and hear their concerns.
鈥淵ou really had to get your feet on the ground and see what was wrong,鈥� Berdar said.
So far, Berdar said they鈥檝e located and fixed 13 pipeline leaks that had lost about 13,000 gallons of water since early February. They also are managing seven holding tanks throughout the system.
鈥淲e鈥檙e still learning the distribution (system),鈥� Berdar said, adding that they鈥檙e working off East Dunkard鈥檚 physical paper maps rather than electronic ones they typically would be able to pull on their cellphones. 鈥淛ust finding your way around.鈥�
Jake Gentile, who serves as PAWC鈥檚 director of operations for northwestern and southwestern Pennsylvania, said he鈥檚 pleased with the progress and knows more work will need to be done to ensure East Dunkard residents get the clean water they deserve.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not a bad system. It just needs support,鈥� Gentile said. 鈥淭he team we have at PAWC, we knew we鈥檇 be able to get it done.鈥�
East Dunkard currently services customers in Dunkard and Greene townships, along with portions of Cumberland, Monongahela, Perry and Whiteley townships.