Susquehanna basin permit approved for new wells; city discusses meter upgrades and rising water costs

City staff updated Lock Haven council that the Susquehanna River Basin Commission has approved permits for new wells on Yundale Road at Madsen and Quaker Hill, authorizing a combined average withdrawal of 1,440,000 gallons per day to supplement the water system during calibration and to provide an additional source during drought or expansion.

Staff said the new wells will reduce the need to withdraw directly from the river in some circumstances and provide capacity for future system growth. The permitting decision was characterized as informational for council; representatives of the distribution authorities and filtration authority have been provided the SRBC documentation.

Separately, staff discussed water rates and a program to replace large meters. Staff said maintaining untreated water supply costs about $820,000 per year and that new meters with built‑in leak detection could reduce replacement costs on large meters; staff estimated significant savings if newer meters are adopted for large commercial accounts and critical sites. Remote reading capability is built into the new meter models, potentially avoiding extra radio‑reading hardware.

Council did not take formal action on the SRBC permit at the meeting; staff recorded the update for the record and indicated further engineering and budget work will follow.