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Commission hears water system update; Division of Drinking Water fee to start in 2026
Summary
Staff reported improved spring flows and that tanks and pump sites are operating well; the Division of Drinking Water will charge an annual system fee estimated around $400 starting July 1, 2026, and the source protection plan for the Triple Chair spring remains in place and will be reapproved in 2029.
Beaver County commissioners received an operational update on Nov. 14 and were told system performance has improved while regulators add a modest annual fee.
Brandon reported the water system is “operating awesome right now,” describing roughly 125 gallons per minute out of Puffer and about 70 gpm from the triple‑chair spring in recent measurements and noting SCADA fine‑tuning should make flow readings more accurate.
Staff also alerted the board to a new annual system fee from the Division of Drinking Water (Environmental Quality), which on current usage would amount to about $400 per year for the county system. The notice discussed a July 1 fee period; staff said the charge is tied to statewide administrative action and will be scheduled beginning mid‑2026.
The board also reviewed the drinking‑water source protection plan for the triple‑chair spring. Staff said the plan has been submitted and approved, that fencing and monitoring will be part of enforcement, and that the plan will require reapproval in 2029. Members discussed developer notifications and the process for recording dates and easements so future ground‑disturbing work can be monitored for source‑area impacts.
Next steps: staff will distribute the fee notice and timeline to board members and continue SCADA tuning and monitoring of spring flows; staff will also coordinate required source‑protection monitoring and any necessary developer notice procedures.
