Warriors Mark Township is in the process of sampling drinking water supplies and streams as part of it Act 537 sewage facilities update.
The township recently gave public notice that 15 percent of the homes not on a public water system are required to be tested in accordance with Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection regulations.
Mountain Research of Altoona has been hired to perform the water testing and analysis. The township is advising its residents that all field personnel will carry photo identification. Samples will only be taken during daylight hours, between approximately 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. The township is asking for cooperation and assistance from its residents in obtaining the required samples.
The public notice said testing was scheduled to have started early last week and is expected to be completed in early September. Upon completion of the analysis, copies of the results will be made available to participating homeowners.
The township explained it is currently in the process of completing an Act 537 Wastewater Facility Plan update. The state’s DEP had requested the municipality of about 1,600 people update a plan that was first put in place in the early 1990s.
In March of 2004, Warriors Mark supervisor L. Stewart Neff said, “I think with increased growth, more and more development issues are going to move up on the agenda in the township. One example is the Act 537 plan we have been asked to look into by DEP. I think it’s a legitimate request and concern on their part…”
Last year, Keller Engineers completed an activity report for the sewage facilities plan update. The supervisors were told DEP had accepted the study and task activity report. The cost of the plan is estimated at $52,950 with DEP expected to reimburse half of it.
Legally, all municipalities are required by DEP to have an Act 537 plan in place to deal with wastewater issues. The act requires that all Commonwealth municipalities develop and implement comprehensive official plans that provide for the resolution of existing sewage disposal problems, provide for the future sewage disposal needs of new land development and provide for the future sewage disposal needs of the municipality. Act 537 planning dates back to the 1960s, but not all municipalities have actively initiated a plan. Some plans are newer and more detailed than others.
Once a municipality adopts a plan, it is submitted for review and approval by DEP. According to state regulations, the planning process is not final until an Act 537 Plan has been approved by DEP.
As part of the process, in February of this year, Warriors Mark held a public involvement session to allow residents to comment on the Act 537 update efforts.
