Supervisors discuss water taps for vacant houses
CARMICHAELS – Two members of Nemacolin Inc. questioned Cumberland Township supervisors Monday about vacant houses in Nemacolin without public water.
The residents earlier asked the township for information about which houses in the community were without water taps, which connect the houses to the public water lines at the street.
Nemacolin Inc., the township and other groups are working to revitalize the community.
The residents noted anyone who might want to purchase a house in the community without water might be dissuaded by the extra cost of installing a water tap.
One woman, who did not want to be named, said she understood all houses were required to have taps under the agreement in which Southwestern Pennsylvania Water Authority assumed ownership of the Nemacolin water system in 1970.
Townships grants coordinator Marcia Sonnneborn, who compiled information on the system from the water authority for Nemacolin Inc., said she would have to look at the agreement.
Apparently, taps for some vacant houses were not installed when Southwestern rehabilitated the entire system several years ago.
These were at houses in which accounts were inactive for more than seven years, Sonneborn said.
This was done in accordance with the water authority’s policies.
Though the township provided a grant for the water system rehabilitation project, its portion only covered the costs of materials for increasing water flow and for several fire hydrants, Sonneborn said.
The project changed after Southwestern received a more substantial grant and loan for rehabilitating the system.
Taps still can be installed for the houses that don’t have them, but the owner would have to pay the authority’s tap-in fee, Sonneborn said.
In other business, the supervisors voted to hire Patrick Frazee and Thomas Obarto as part-time police officers at $14 an hour with no benefits. The two will be hired as probationary employees.
The supervisors also agreed not to retain two part-time officers who were probationary employees, David Hromada and Mandy Mudrick.
The supervisors agreed to advertise for bids for gasoline and diesel fuel.