Pennsylvania American Water

Public Utility Commission OKs Pennsylvania American Water hikes of 10.7% for water and 6.4% for wastewater and will investigate water complaints in NEPA.

Pennsylvania American Water will not pay a state penalty for polluting Roaring Brook and the Lackawanna River. Instead, the utility company will put money back in the community.

Pennsylvania American Water (PAW) is legally required to restore Roaring Brook dam after sediment polluted the Lackawanna River.In February, the water company caused murky sediment to pollute the Dunmore No.7 dam during a $17 million dollar renovation project.PAW violated the state’s Clean streams Law and the state’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) ordered the company to remove the sediment and study its lasting effects on Roaring Brook and the Lackawanna River on June 20.The DEP ordered PAW to complete the following:Implement their plan of action to clean the sediment, approved by DEP on April 18, 2024Install a staff gauge at the Cedar Avenue location to monitor sediment accumulation; the gauge must be inspected every two weeks and any accumulated sediment must be removedSubmit sediment removal reports to the DEP and reevaluate Roaring Brook for additional sediment removalContinue sediment removal activities until 12 months after the Dunmore No. 7 damproject is completedSubmit a plan of study on the cause and effects to Roaring Brook and the Lackawanna RiverPAW must also start a ‘Community Environmental Project,’ which will include handicap access and educational signage on the local ecosystem. The project is expected to cost over $300,000, which covers what a civil penalty would cost PAW, according to the DEP.The agreement gives PAW 120 days to apply for the needed permits to complete the project and 45 days for construction to start after receiving the permits.

Pennsylvania American Water (PAW) acknowledged what the company is calling an “unanticipated discharge” of sediment into Roaring Brook in Lackawanna County. That’s in a response letter to a notice of violation of the state’s Clean Streams Act.

Pennsylvania American Water (PAW) responded to a notice of violation from the state’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). The DEP said the utility company violated Pennsylvania's Clean Streams Law during dam upgrades in Dunmore. The agency is currently reviewing the response, according to DEP spokesperson Colleen Connelly. PAW's response is not yet available to the public. In early February, a heavy load of sediment was released into Roaring Brook during construction of the dam. The sediment flowed from Roaring Brook into the Lackawanna River. The DEP said the water company failed to notify the state agency about the pollution and And that the discharge was not permitted. The utility company was notified of the violation on March 7. They had 15 days to give DEP the cause of the discharge and answer why they did not notify the agency immediately.

Pennsylvania American Water violated the state’s Clean Streams Law during dam upgrades in Dunmore. The state’s Department of Environmental Protection officially notified the water company of the violation on Thursday.