Water woes continue in Lamar
By JIM RUNKLE — jrunkle@lockhaven.comArticle Photos
He tipped his ball cap up, peered into the muddy hole and said, “be prepared.”
He was talking about water.
More specifically, he was talking about this, the most recent break in a series of breaks to water lines serving most of this community.
This break came just two days after a large number of customers gathered at the Porter Township Municipal Building to complain to local officials about repeated lack of water service — and just days after one of the owners said the worst should be over.
Frustrations remain high in this neighborhood because of the frequent loss of water to residences and businesses.
One resident is keeping track of the water disruptions, which she said last at least 24 hours and sometimes longer. Her list shows her home was without water on April 21, 24, 25, 26, 29 and May 2, 3 and 7.
“What did you find?” Schwab asked one of the workers.
“Water,” said an an employee of Spearly Construction of Bellefonte.
The one-word answer could be barely heard over the din of a gas-operated power saw, a backhoe and a dump truck.
Schwab, a senior citizen who moved here in 1950.
He said the problems started when the lines were installed, and they’ve continued through the decades to today.
He says the ancient pipes break with every surge and air leak.
He also says the main supply line needs to be replaced.
Schwab and others are expressing those suggestions, along with a great deal of anger toward the privately-owned Nittany Water Co. for what they describe as a continuing lack of upgrades and repairs to the water service.
The situation has gotten so bad it resulted in a mass appearance of customers Monday evening at the Porter Township supervisors’ meeting.
At that meeting, Nittany Water President and co-owner Larry Rider said there haven’t been any water line breaks for two years, but then “all of the sudden, you have a break every other day.”
Every other day would suit Schwab just fine.
He said he’s had recent stretches where he’s been out of service at his home for as much as three days.
He also said he received notification of this most recent loss of service Tuesday afternoon, leaving him little time to prepare for the situation.
“I got up this morning and put my bed clothes in the washer,” said George Zimmerman, who lives along the Spring Run Road. “I heard the washer thump off with just five inches of water in it. I heard some people were given notification on telephone message machines, but I didn’t get any calls. I’ve been hauling drinking and cleaning water from the mountain.”
“It’s off, then on, then off again,” Schwab said. “The company says it’s only been off for four hours, but they must be using some crazy sort of stop watch, because mine was off 12 hours with that break and there’s been about five breaks that I know of in the last two weeks.”
“I’ll tell you what the problem is,” Nevin Courter said as he watched the excavation. “There aren’t any air vents on the system ... I’ve told them, the Department of Environmental Protection has told them and the engineer has told them. They just won’t listen, and the air continues to hammer the lines apart. We can’t get 84 hours in before something happens and we’ve had nine out of 14 days without water.”
Courter said an investment of between $8,500 to $10,000 would probably resolve the problems.
Courter, chairman of the Porter Township supervisors, could tell you a few things about water companies and breaking water lines. He said he also remembers times when large crowds gathered at the township building following similar problems with the 64 Water system.
Courter said he ran the 64 Water Co. for about 15 years before it was purchased by the township, and now “it’s working fine.”
He also said the supervisors, aware of the ongoing problems, offered to hook its authority’s lines with Nittany Water, or purchase the system outright, but were told “bring your checkbook” by the owners who declined to name a specific price.
The township itself has run into difficulties, he said, especially when it comes to the municipal community center. The government rents space in the former elementary school to the U.S.D.A., Eastern Nittany Valley Municipal Sewer Authority, and others, and the interruption is putting the yearly $84,000 in rent at risk, he said.
“It’s become a safety and health issue,” he said. “Businesses like K&C Denture have had to cancel appointments, and the local Dairy Queen needs water to make ice cream. There’s also a pizza shop, post office, churches ... it goes on and on.”
Nittany Water placed a water tank and pump station at the Nittany Valley Fire Hall last Thursday, and there’s a sign on the side of the station saying water’s available at that location.
“I can’t believe these people don’t know the names of the owners,” Courter said. “When I was running the water company, everybody and his brother knew my name.”
Not to mention his telephone number and where he might be working construction on any particular day, he added.
After Monday’s mass meeting, Rider alleged the residents were exaggerating and there has been water service for most of the time.
“I don’t want to use the ‘lie’ word, but sometimes it’s necessary,” Schwab said. “I can tell you there are times when it’s off for days.”
At Ingram’s store just beyond the residential area of the community, a representative said the store has experienced problems that go beyond a four-hour interruption.
He added area residents are buying a lot of bottled water these days.
“We ordered 15 extra cases,” he said, “and that’s before we knew the line had broken again.” A sign on the door of the business greets citizens as they leave Ingram’s.
“Attention Nittany Water Co. customers,” it says. “A boil water advisory is in effect until further notice.”
There’s no expiration date on the note.
“They put the system in a year or so after I moved here,” Schwab said. “Back in the ‘50s asbestos pipe was state of the art, but it’s leaked ever since.”
Courter said Bob O’Conner, the Porter Township solicitor, has been investigating the situation, but specialized legal help might be needed to resolve this dilemma.
Nittany Water is a privately-owned company and falls under the jurisdiction of the Public Utility Company.
Townships cannot use the local courts to force Nittany Water to fix pipes and provide clean drinking water, but Walker and Porter officials have conferred about the problem, and are actively seeking solutions, according to Courter.
