Pennsylvania American Water has cleared sediment from Roaring Brook that caked the creek bed, destroyed parts of the water’s ecosystem and polluted both the Lackawanna and Susquehanna Rivers.
"The completion of dredging at Roaring Brook is a key step in our corrective action plan. This effort and ongoing monitoring helps protect our waterways and communities," Brandy Braun, director of water quality and environmental compliance at Pennsylvania American Water, said in a press release.
Removing the sediment from the stream channel and its banks began in early September, according to the water company. Crews worked along Cedar Avenue and Myrtle Street near Darcy Park in Scranton.
A look back
In October 2023, Pennsylvania American Water (PAW) began a $17 million dollar rehabilitation project on the No. 7 Dam in Dunmore. In early February crews restoring the over 150-year-old dam opened a valve to lower the reservoir’s water. Over a century's worth of sediment flowed into Roaring Brook.
The creek meets up with the Lackawanna River in South Scranton, where the river's water turned a murky grey. The sediment flowed through the Lackawanna and into the Susquehanna River at the waterways' confluence in Luzerne County.
The water company closed the valve eight days later while working to remediate the situation.
On Feb. 15, the Lackawanna County Commissioners asked county District Attorney Mark Powell to open a criminal investigation into the pollution.
In March, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) charged the utility with violating Pennsylvania’s Clean Streams Act.
By June, the DEP and the utility came to an agreement.
PAW would not pay a fine but rather put money back in the community.
The water company plans to spend around $300,000 to create fish habitats along Roaring Brook and stabilize the stream bank, according to the consent order and agreement between the utility and the DEP.
PA American Water will add educational features along the waterway and create a fishing deck with handicap access and handicap accessible parking.
The civil penalty was $170,813. The utility must reimburse DEP around $25,000 for costs related to the issue, according to the agreement.
PAW had to submit a plan of action to the DEP, which included dredging the creek and agreeing to monitor the situation for at least three years after the dam project is finished.
"The Lackawanna River Conservation Association recognizes Pennsylvania American Water’s accountability in addressing the sediment release incident and appreciates the effective measures implemented, as well as their ongoing commitment to monitoring and rehabilitation of the waterway,” said Tara B. Jones, the association's executive director.
The nonprofit advocates for the Lackawanna River, its tributaries and surrounding green space.
Pennsylvania American Water anticipated the work at the No. 7 Dam in Dunmore will be completed by early summer 2025.
