The lead abatement project for the Bradford City Water Authority is all done, except for the paving.
At Wednesday’s meeting, the board heard an update on the project from Executive Director Steve Disney. Mortimer’s Excavating has completed construction and replacement of lead pipes, and restoration of concrete sidewalks has been completed. Upon instruction from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, the final milling and paving restoration on South Avenue has been pushed to the spring.
Complete curb-to-curb milling and paving of East Main Street between East and Welch avenues has also been pushed to the spring because of weather constraints.
Disney updated the board on the project to get new water meters
. “The authority is working with Johnson Controls to begin the process of evaluating various elements and components of an upgraded metering system,” he said. “The system known as Advanced Metering Infrastructure includes evaluations of customer locations and addresses, individual breakdown of the residential, commercial and industrial customer base and the components required to install and operate an AMI system.”
The system currently in use is an AMR system, known as a “drive-by system,” he explained.
“Advanced Metering Infrastructure systems require the meters to have either an FCC radio signal or cellular signal to send ‘detailed’ meter information to the cloud, that is then read by software and made readily available to the utility.”
Also at the meeting, Disney said an application will be submitted to the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development Local Share Account. If approved, the money would be used for a second phase on the 8-inch water main replacement along U.S. Route 219.
The authority has been contacted by First Energy regarding its current rights-of-way agreements across authority lands. First Energy is looking to supplement existing ones to acquire better tree-clearing rights on water authority property. There would be a total of six rights of way. The authority’s solicitor and consulting forester will review the documents.
In the timber report, Ken Kane of Generations Forestry said Ram Forest is working on the Maple Flats timber harvest. The ash salvage off Interstate Parkway is about 55% complete. An area of blown downs due to high winds is being harvested.
The chipping operation on West Branch to clear out zero-value undergrowth will be completed within the next 30 days.
The December meeting has been moved to noon Dec. 20 due to the Christmas holiday.
