SUNBURY - Northumberland County Commissioner Vinny Clausi, who operates a restaurant and construction business in Coal Township, lambasted the costs involved with a federal mandate that requires all water utilities and municipal authorities in the country to enforce the installation of backflow prevention devices that will protect the public water supply in their respective service areas.
Speaking at the end of Tuesday afternoon's commissioners' meeting, Clausi said he has heard numerous complaints about Aqua PA making customers install $800 check valves in water lines at businesses and residences. He called it "another tax on the people," and encouraged the public to contact state and federal legislators.
During a telephone interview Tuesday afternoon with The News-Item, Aqua PA Vice President Anthony Donatoni clarified some misconceptions.
"We, like all water utilities and municipal authorities, are required by the federal government under the Safe Drinking Act to abide by the cross-connection control program or backflow prevention devices," Donatoni said.
He said the work involves installing a series of valves inside commercial, industrial and institutional facilities to prevent the siphonage of dirty water into the system.
Donatoni said some residences also may be required to install the device if they use a lot of water or have a sprinkler system, but most involve larger entities.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) defines a cross-connection as a point in the piping system where "non-potable water can be introduced to potable sources." All service lines connected to public water systems are potential cross-connections.
The current water distribution system is designed so that water flows from the water main through a service line to a customer. However, certain conditions can cause water to flow from the plumbing back into the distribution system.
Donatoni said Aqua PA began installing the devices about five years ago in its southeast Pennsylvania service area. He said between 30,000 and 40,000 customers out of 360,000 total have been compliant with the mandate.
In January, he said the utility began introducing the device to customers in its Roaring Creek Division, which covers the Shamokin-Mount Carmel area. He estimated 400 out of approximately 20,000 customers in the local service area are required to install the devices at this point. He noted more properties could be added under the mandate. Thus far, he said approximately 25 percent of the 400 customers have complied with Aqua's request.
Aqua PA, which serves 431,000 customers in the state, said letters have been sent to customers notifying them of the mandate. He said customers are given 90 days from the receipt of the letters to comply. If they fail to comply, their water will be shut off, Donatoni said.
"We don't want to shut off anyone's water, but that's the only leverage we have when people don't pay their bills or fail to comply with this mandate," he said. "It's only done as a last resort."
Donatoni said the cost of the equipment and installation ranges from $200 to $1,000. He said the complexity of installation and size of the water meter determines the cost.
In response to Clausi's claim of being charged $800 for the device, Donatoni said, "$800 is a lot of money and that's why we offer payment plans."
He said the devices can be installed and inspected by Aqua employees or certified contractors approved by Aqua. He said annual inspections in the utility's southeast Pennsylvania service area range between $85 and $200. He said customers in the Roaring Creek Division could pay less or more for inspections, depending on the complexity of the unit.
"We take this responsibility seriously," Donatoni said. "We want to eliminate the threat of having contaminated water in our system and I'm sure our customers want the same thing so they can rest easy about their water quality."