Feb 21, 2024 4 min read

By John Brutz

If you think the dangerous drinking water issues that have plagued communities like Flint, Mich., and Jackson, Miss., can’t happen here in Pennsylvania, think again.

Just this month, as reported in this paper, Commonwealth Court ruled that the operation and management of a long-troubled municipal water system in Greene County must be transferred immediately to a private water utility – Pennsylvania American Water – to rescue thousands of customers from the East Dunkard Water Authority. The water system has had problems dating back years, forcing many customers to choose bottled water over tap.

“It’s been going on so long. What do you have to do to get clean water this century? It feels like we’re the Flint, Mich. of Pennsylvania,” one East Dunkard customer said.

While one state agency is asking Pennsylvania American Water to rescue this failing system, another is holding hearings about proposed rate increases for certain Pennsylvania American Water customers. If my 35 years working in Pennsylvania’s water and wastewater industry have taught me anything, it’s this: safe, reliable drinking water only happens with regular, well-funded maintenance.

For too long, far too many municipal systems have deferred maintenance to the point that systems like East Dunkard are failing their customers. The reality is local, municipally owned systems are not treated the same way private utilities like Pennsylvania American Water are treated. They’re given more time to fix problems because budgets are always an issue. No one wants to be the “bad guy” and raise rates. Pennvest grants may take years to arrive. Aging pipes and water treatment plants that a private utility can replace quickly may take five to 15 years, or longer, to be fixed by a municipal authority reluctant to spend the necessary capital. It’s a cycle I’ve seen play out many times, resulting in unhealthy and ultimately more costly consequences for residents.

I began my career as a water treatment plant operator in 1988 and spent the next 19 years working for four different municipally owned and operated water and wastewater utilities. I also worked part time for the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP) outreach program, where I provided onsite assistance to over a dozen non-compliant municipal water systems. Additionally, I was a member of the Pennsylvania Certification Board for Water and Wastewater Operators, serving as chairman for five years. We created a whistleblower clause for the protection of certified operators when local governing bodies won’t take steps needed to take action to maintain system compliance. I’m proud of those changes that protect the health and welfare of my fellow Pennsylvanians.

Over the years, I have witnessed a few common themes. The governing members of water authorities are either appointed or elected, typically with no industry background and generally lack any business management experience. This is especially true in economically challenged communities – rural, urban, and suburban.

A common goal was to keep rates low, a noble goal for sure, but it severely impacts system management. A colleague of mine once attended a municipal water authority meeting where a system-wide water meter replacement project to replace antiquated water meters was shot down because an authority member asked if the new meters would register more water use resulting in customers having to pay more. Of course, the answer was yes, because the old meters were broken. The project didn’t move forward.

Years later, I left the municipal side and began working for a private company, where I worked with Pennsylvania American Water in 2015 on a comprehensive water loss reduction program. It was and is both shocking and refreshing to me when I see the difference of how these utilities are managed and operated versus municipal systems. Adequate wages are paid to attract and retain some of the best talent in the industry. Research is continually explored for the best and most efficient strategies and solutions. New pipes are regularly installed and facilities receive regular upgrades.

No one wants to pay more for any utility bill, and it is easy to point fingers at private water companies who seek higher rates to recover investment in their system. But the truth is if the municipal water systems had been making the improvements they should have been all along, rates would have already gone up. If that had been the case, those unfortunate folks in Greene County wouldn’t have been without safe drinking water all this time.

John Brutz is the general manager of 540 Technologies, a comprehensive environmental and data solutions provider that helps public and private utilities and other entities become more efficient, cost-effective and environmentally responsible.