The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection is still keeping the boil water advisory for customers of the Bradford City Water Authority in place until at least this afternoon.

Members of the Bradford City Water Authority talked about the advisory with some frustration at Wednesday’s regular meeting.

Executive director Steve Disney explained the DEP put the advisory in place as a precautionary measure, and it follows the DEP’s guidelines.

However, he added, “This has been a tremendous burden on the community. Some would say undue.”

The advisory was put in place Thursday evening after a chemical feed pump at the Bradford water treatment plant malfunctioned. The malfunction caused turbidity levels to rise above normal levels, and the DEP wanted all the water that was coming through at the time to make its way through the system before lifting the advisory.

At Wednesday’s meeting, Disney explained the authority has looked at various data, and, based on the results, said, “We believe there wasn’t a single thing wrong with the water.”

Ron Orris, authority chairman, said, “I agree with that 100%” — a statement which prompted other board members to voice their agreement, too.

Disney said the authority collected samples Monday, which were not official DEP samples, that gave optimistic results.

The authority was still awaiting results as of Wednesday’s meeting for 10 samples collected Tuesday under DEP protocol, and 10 more samples were to be taken on Wednesday. Disney anticipates the results from Wednesday’s collection to be available around noon today.

The meeting also included approval of a timber sale. The water authority splits proceeds from timber sales from watershed property with Bradford City.

Eight bids were received, with the highest being Emporium Hardwoods, who submitted a bid of $249,324, explained Ken Kane, president of Generations Forestry. The bid is for mostly soft maple from the Maple Flat area of authority property.

The authority followed Kane’s recommendation to accept the bid from Emporium Hardwoods.

Disney projected updates to the authority on ongoing projects, too.

Regarding a new 24-inch transmission main that is to be installed, he said documentation is still being prepared for a PENNVEST loan for the project.

One contractor for the transmission main project, D&M Contracting, has submitted video evidence showing what the construction area looks like now; This video will let the company know what the condition of the construction area should look like when done. The authority expects similar information to arrive soon from another contractor, Mortimer’s Excavating.

Disney said the Kenmar Acres main line extension project is expected to go out to bid sometime in January.

The proposed water line drawings for the extension project have been revised, and Bankson Engineers is determining whether the pumps at the Colonial Heights Pump Station need to be replaced to serve homes at the higher elevations. Once that decision is made, the project can go out to bid.

A large part of the extension project is being funded by a Pennsylvania Small Water and Sewer Grant, administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development. The total cost of the project with construction and engineering must be between $30,000 and $500,000 for it to qualify for the grant.

A project to move a water line when the Forman Street Bridge was replaced is 95% complete, Disney reported. The line is back in service, and the contractor just has a few minor items to finish before the project is complete.

Also at the meeting, Disney read a proclamation acknowledging James DeCasper’s local years of service to the local water industry, first in Lewis Run Borough, then Bradford City. DeCasper is retiring.

In other news, the authority announced that, in 2020, it will continue to use the fourth Wednesday of each month as primary meeting dates; however, the third Wednesday will now serve as the “as needed” meeting date. Bradford City Water Authority meets at noon in the Kubiak Building, 28 Kennedy St.

In 2019, the “as needed” date was the second Tuesday, but it was too early in the month for the authority to have financial data ready.

The authority approved the lowest bids for semi-annual water treatment plant chemicals. JCI Jones Chemical Co. submitted the lowest bid with $96.67 per 100 pounds of liquid chlorine and $12.75 per 100 pounds of caustic soda.