Bradford City and the Bradford City Water Authority are discussing a new timber agreement.
Through the timber agreements, the city gets a portion of the proceeds of timber sales from water authority property. The current agreement expires at the end of 2020.
Water authority Executive Director Steve Disney reported at Wednesday’s regular meeting that the two entities met last week for an informative review of the current inventory and future projection of the watershed and timber. The review was conducted by the authority’s forester, Ken Kane of Generations Forestry.
Disney said discussions to form the new agreement are ongoing.
In other business at Wednesday’s authority meeting, Kane updated the board on an inventory being taken on water authority property.
Generations has finished collecting and compiling inventory data from the Marilla watershed, and they are in the early stages of collecting data on the Gilbert watershed.
Disney updated the board on the redundant 24-inch transmission main installation.
Parts and equipment finally arrived to finish installing near Reservoir No. 4 the final 702 feet of water main and two in-ground vaults that will house remotely controlled isolation valves. The equipment was delayed due to the COVID-19 shutdown. D&M Construction is preparing for the final connections.
As for road work that needs done due to installation of water main on West Corydon Street, Crookerhouse Lane and Lang Maid Lane, restoration and repaving is currently underway on those roads.
Regarding a main line extension on Kenmar Acres, customers were sent notices in the mail last week informing them that they can start planning for installation of individual connections, as the project is substantially complete.
Future upgrades of the Colonial Heights pumping station will enhance water pressure in both the areas of Colonial Heights and Kenmar Acres. However, COVID-19 shutdowns have caused delays in the upgrade, and Disney does not know if the equipment will arrive in 2020 or 2021.
At the water treatment plant, the pandemic also caused delays with a standby generator transfer switch project. Disney anticipates they will receive the transfer switch and equipment in time to install it in mid-November.
Emergency upgrades are underway to prevent outages at the plant’s raw water pumping station. The authority has received a new electrical disconnect and electrical work for the project.
The authority is waiting for a response after submitting a proposal to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection asking permission to conduct a full-scale pilot study of the mixed water at the plant on one of the eight treatment tanks. The authority hopes to improve settling of the sludge into the tube settlers.
