BREITUNG TWP—After years spent seeking grants and more than a year of construction, the first few gallons of water flowed through the Tower-Breitung Waste Water Board’s new water filtration plant this week.
Matt Tuchel, water/wastewater supervisor, said the new equipment pumped about 20,000 gallons Tuesday before they switched back to the old plant as he continues to make adjustments.
The new plant and well system offers a level of redundancy that the old facility didn’t provide.
“It assures that no water gets through that isn’t disinfected,” Tuchel said. “Before, if the chlorinator went down, the system didn’t notify us. We never had any problems, but now the new system will automatically switch over to a secondary system. There is two of everything.”
Adjustments to the filtration process are still being made, and while that occurs, there is a chance water may look different because it might contain an increased amount of iron or manganese.
“I don’t expect any issues,” Tuchel said, noting that the water would still be disinfected and safe to drink. “It’s still better than using well water temporarily while we dial things in. We just don’t want people to be unaware.”
The Timberyjay previously reported the project had been estimated to cost $10.7 million, including construction and related engineering and construction administration.
The two communities of Breitung and Tower financed the project through a combination of state and federal grants. Look for more details on the project in an upcoming edition of the Timberjay.