City's water department annual report filed with PA Public Utility Commission; DEP accepts Upper Castaneda Dam emergency action plan

Lock Haven staff told council the city has filed its 2024 water department annual report with the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) and the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), as required because the water system serves areas outside city limits.

Staff reported DEP has accepted the city’s Emergency Action Plan (EAP) for the Upper Castaneda Dam under updated DEP requirements for EAP content. The accepted plan will be distributed to county offices and other appropriate agencies so those entities are aware of the response procedures should an emergency occur.

Councilors were advised DEP review for other dam EAPs is ongoing; approvals for additional EAPs had not yet been returned to the city at the time of the meeting.

In project updates, staff said the Suburban Water Authority completed a line relocation that the project manager certified as acceptable, and that remaining work on the current construction phase is progressing toward final paving in several sections. Staff asked project managers to include additional photos in future reports to better document progress.

Council discussed remaining stormwater and paving needs, identifying Sylvan, Hemlock and Terrace as areas that had required costly remediation in earlier phases. Staff said some remaining work may be limited to paving, depending on how much of the two‑year allocation the council chooses to apply to the final section.

No formal council action was recorded on the annual report or construction updates at the June 16 meeting; these items were presented for information and routine oversight.