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EPA Grant Will Extend Lewistown’s Public Drinking Water Supply to East Derry Township

Release Date: 2/8/1999
Contact Information: Ruth Podems, (215) 814-5540

Philadelphia - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded a $1 million construction grant to the Municipal Authority of the Borough of Lewistown to help pay for a $1.8 million extension of the Lewistown drinking water system to 400 residents in East Derry Township along Route 522 and Dry Run.

Lewistown must supply the remaining $800,000 local cost share of the project. The expected cost to those receiving the water is expected to be approximately $38 per month.

These residents will receive water from the public water supply because their well water is contaminated with fecal coliform bacteria and high nitrate levels. Fecal coliform can cause stomach upset and diarrhea. High nitrate levels can cause "blue-baby syndrome," a condition that interferes with the oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood.

"This money should go a long way toward improving the quality of life, through safe drinking water to the residents of East Derry Township," said W. Michael McCabe, EPA Regional Administrator.

Private wells are not subject to federal regulation under the Safe Drinking Water Act, but the recipients of the new public water supply can expect their water to meet federal drinking water standards.