Township ponders grant for water data

 

By Nicole Foulke, Intelligencer, February 6, 2008

In response to growing concern over the state of local water supplies, Plumstead is considering a grant proposal that would allow the township to gather more accurate water supply data.

Robert Stanfield, chairman of the Bridgeton-Nockamixon-Tinicum Joint Groundwater Committee, has secured a grant from the Wallace Foundation that would allow him to monitor several of Plumstead's 34 wells every 30 seconds, as opposed to their current monthly monitoring. According to Stanfield, the grant will give the equipment to Plumstead “on a permanent loan basis.” Maintenance fees will likely be negligible.

Stanfield currently monitors wells in Bridgeton, Nockamixon and Tinicum townships in this continuous manner, and is a proponent of this degree of well-monitoring accuracy. But though he has been continuously monitoring those wells for roughly five years, he says that he has barely scratched the surface, and that monthly monitoring may be insufficient.

Plumstead's expert hydrogeologist, Bruno Mercuri, disagrees. In light of his general background research, as well as his water studies in Perkasie and Quakertown, Mercuri believes that the township's current system is sufficient. He does not feel it is necessary to accept Stanfield's proposal.

Mercuri was hired by Plumstead to prepare an environmental report for the township's litigation with the Bucks County Water and Sewer Authority. He is president and principal hydrogeologist of the consulting firm Mercuri and Associates.

Township supervisors remained unconvinced by Mercuri. Supervisor Housley Carr pressed for more detailed data-gathering from Plumstead saying, “I don't think that we should just be relying on data from other townships.”

URL: http://www.phillyburbs.com/pb-dyn/news/113-02062008-1483333.html