DEP Announces Completion of New Water System for Lackawanna County Residents Affected by Water Contamination

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Wilkes-Barre, PA – More than 700 residents have access to clean drinking water thanks to a recently completed public water distribution and supply system. The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) announced the completion of an approximately $20 million system for residents in Scott, Waverly, South Abington, and North Abington townships in Lackawanna County.

Industrial pollution from the nearby Ivy Industrial Park led to private water wells contaminated with organic solvents trichloroethylene (TCE) and tetrachloroethylene (PCE). Another 70 potentially affected homes were already connected to existing water lines.

“To be able to see this project through until completion is a tremendous accomplishment for the department and residents,” said Mike Bedrin, Director of DEP’s Northeast Regional Office in Wilkes-Barre. “Once the contamination was detected all parties involved worked to address the issue, provide temporary water sources, and see that a new and permanent source of water was ultimately available to residents.”

The new water system is part of a 2011 consent order and agreement between DEP and the companies responsible for the groundwater contamination, Bostik, Inc. and Sandvik, Inc., both tenants of the Ivy Industrial Park in South Abington and Scott townships. The agreement required both companies to pay the cost of design, construction, and installation. In 2005, DEP staff discovered contamination of the groundwater near the Ivy Industrial Park by organic solvents TCE and PCE. DEP then named both facilities as responsible for contaminating groundwater with volatile organic chemicals stemming from industrial operations at both sites.

During construction, residents were provided with either bottled water for use or treatment systems on their wells, all paid for by Bostik and Sandvik.

The construction work on the system was conducted by two local companies, Pioneer Construction Company, Inc. and TSE, Inc. The consulting firm, Gannett Fleming of Harrisburg, managed day-to-day operations of the project.

Pennsylvania American Water is providing water service to the homeowners.