Water firm's action draws concerns in Chesco
The Delaware water company that plans to pump from a Chester County well has withdrawn its application to expand service in the county, fueling concern among residents that the firm plans to export county water supplies to out-of-state customers.
The Delaware water company that plans to pump from a Chester County well has withdrawn its application to expand service in the county, fueling concern among residents that the firm plans to export county water supplies to out-of-state customers.
"This was our fear from the beginning," State Sen. Andy Dinniman (D., Chester), who supports residents' opposition to the company's plans, said this week.
Artesian Resources Corp. plans to pump about 200,000 gallons of water per day from a well in New Garden Township near the Broad Run tributary of White Clay Creek. Residents with private wells nearby worry that the company's pumping could deplete the aquifer.
"The water will be part of our overall water system," said Joseph DiNunzio, executive vice president of Artesian. The system includes customers in New Garden as well as Delaware, and Maryland.
Artesian said it planned to pump some of that water to future housing developments in New Garden. It needed permission from the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission to do so.
DiNunzio said the company withdrew its application to the commission so it could focus on a plan to monitor the aquifer's water levels and ensure its pumping does not deplete residents' wells.
The Delaware River Basin Commission, a regional agency charged with protecting the Delaware River watershed, had approved Artesian's pumping plan, provided the company followed through with the monitoring plan.
But Artesian's motion also mentioned "substantial opposition" to its plan to expand service from residents who oppose further development in New Garden.
The company told the PUC it had reconsidered the expansion, lest it spend time and money on continued litigation.
DiNunzio said pumping from the well in New Garden will help ensure reliable service for its customers.
Dinniman and residents worry Artesian's plan to expand water service in Chester County was a ploy.
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