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Resident warns commissioners of alleged mismanagement at Rock Spring Water Company
Summary
Ferguson Township resident Laura Dennini told commissioners she testified in a PUC proceeding alleging unmetered service, decades‑long free water to Penn State at a storage tank, and that roughly 600 households are bearing repair costs that could total tens of millions of dollars.
Laura Dennini, a Ferguson Township resident, told the Centre County Board of Commissioners she is following a Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission proceeding that she said stems from “the improper management of Rock Spring Water Company.” Dennini said some customers have been billed while others have unmetered lines and do not pay for the water they use, and she urged county attention to revenue shortfalls that she said have hampered system repairs.
“My concern is that 600 households are basically footing the bill,” Dennini said, and she cited a judge’s recommendation and a recent Pennsylvania American Water Company supplemental statement describing portions of the distribution system installed on private land without easements, including a storage tank on land owned by Penn State. According to Dennini, Pennsylvania American Water told regulators the tank is critical because the system has only one well and the tank provides backup and fire flow capacity.
Dennini said that if Pennsylvania American Water acquires the Rock Spring system it would need to negotiate with Penn State to meter and charge for service and to acquire an easement. She said the lost revenue has contributed to a repair need she estimated in the range of “$16 to $20,000,000.”
The commissioners did not take formal action in response to Dennini’s comments during the public‑comment portion of the meeting. The PUC proceeding and any potential acquisition or enforcement steps would be handled at the state regulatory level; the county did not announce a local investigation during the meeting.
