Warrington Twp Water&sew Dept

The western portion of Warrington Township, from Folly Street to Upper State Road, plus the Liverpool Greene development along County Line Street, has historically received water purchased directly from North Wales Water Authority (NWWA). This area sits above the Lockatong geological formation, which doesn't support large groundwater wells. The NWWA-supplied water comes from the Forest Park Water Treatment Plant in Chalfont, a state-of-the-art facility processing water from the Delaware River via the Point Pleasant pump station.

The Forest Park facility employs advanced treatment methods including flocculation, sedimentation, filtration, granular activated carbon, and pre/post ozone disinfection to ensure quality water.

The eastern section of the Township, from Valley Road to Elbow Lane, was previously served by nine Township-owned production wells drilled 300-760 feet into the Stockton geological formation. These wells are positioned along the Route 611 corridor.

In late 2014, updated EPA testing protocols revealed Perflourooctanesulfonic Acid (PFOS) and Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA) contamination in various Township wells. Though unregulated under the Safe Drinking Water Act, the EPA initially established a Health Advisory Limit (HAL) of 400 parts per trillion for PFOA and 200 parts per trillion for PFOS. Wells 1, 2, and 6 immediately showed results exceeding these limits and were removed from service, while remaining wells tested below the provisional HAL.

In May 2016, the EPA revised the HAL to 70 parts per trillion combined PFOA/PFOS, prompting the Township to additionally remove wells 3 and 9 from service. Wells 5, 8, and 11 remained active with documented PFOS/PFOA levels below the revised limit, with frequent testing implemented.

The Township's eastern and western water systems are interconnected through controlled valves allowing water to flow into the eastern distribution system. Since discovering the PFOA/PFOS contamination, NWWA water purchases increased to approximately two million gallons daily. An additional interconnection completed in October 2017 allowed wells 5, 8, and 11 to be taken offline, transitioning the Township to 100% NWWA-supplied water from the Forest Park Treatment Plant. A second interconnection completed in early 2018 enhanced system reliability through redundancy.

Currently, a treatment system for Wells 1, 2, and 6 is under construction to remove PFOA and PFOS to non-detectable levels, allowing these wells to serve as emergency backup water sources during droughts or other emergencies. Treatment systems for Wells 3 and 9 will follow to further expand emergency supply availability. Federal funding has supported the design and installation of these interconnections and treatment systems.

Source Water Assessments for both the NWWA Forest Park Water Treatment Plant and Warrington Township Water Systems were completed by the PA Department of Environmental Protection in 2003 and 2005, respectively. These assessments identified potential contamination risks from transportation corridors, auto repair shops, and stormwater runoff from agricultural fields, yards, golf courses, and parking lots.

Assessment summaries are available at www.depgreenpart.stat.pa.us/elibrary/GetFolder?FolderID=4499, with complete reports available for review at the PADEP SouthCentral Regional Office.

The CDC provides essential information about water safety and potential health effects from water contamination. Their resources include guidance on water-borne diseases, preventative measures, and recommended actions for consumers concerned about their water quality. CDC water safety guidelines complement EPA regulations to ensure comprehensive protection of public health through safe municipal water supplies.