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Brooklawn engineer reports PFNA above new standard; council rejects Third Avenue bids and seeks external funding
Summary
The borough engineer reported quarterly PFNA testing showed 11.16 parts per trillion (four-quarter average 12.28 ppt), above a new 10 ppt standard; council voted to reject low-budget Third Avenue bids and authorized staff to apply for discretionary funding and adopted a $200,000 bond ordinance for water-plant rehabilitation.
The Borough of Brooklawn's engineer told the council that the most recent PFNA sample came in at 11.16 parts per trillion and that the four-quarter average is 12.28 ppt, a level he said exceeds the new 10-ppt regulatory standard and triggers required public notifications. "That's where we're at," the engineer said, noting the borough must send formal letters even though earlier averages were below an older, higher standard.
On project finance and procurement, the engineer reported that bids for the Third Avenue phase-one project arrived at approximately $336,000 while the design allocation was about $166,000, and recommended rejecting the bids due to insufficient funds. The council adopted a resolution to reject the bids and directed staff to pursue discretionary funding for the project. The engineer said the borough will apply to the Department of Transportation/discretionary funding programs and, if necessary, split the work into a phased approach to match available funds.
Council also voted to adopt a bond ordinance appropriating $200,000 for water-plant rehabilitation and renovation. The council's recorded voice vote showed Council Members Clotworthy, Daro, McConnell and Ostrom voting "yes." No amendment to the ordinance was recorded at the meeting.
Engineer and staff updates also described the water treatment plant schedule: contractors are expected to complete piping work in the near term, as-built documentation will follow, and the contractor's paperwork (including American Iron and Steel certifications) has been submitted to the USDA for reimbursement processing tied to prior draws. Staff underscored a target completion window in the coming months with a backstop date of Jan. 25 for certain deliverables.
The council directed the engineer to prepare grant applications and follow-up materials; if the discretionary funding request is only partially funded, staff said they would consider scope reductions or a phase-two plan. The council did not set a final construction schedule pending award decisions and potential re-bidding.
What's next: staff will submit the discretionary funding application, process USDA reimbursement requests already in the pipeline and post required consumer notifications about the PFNA test results.
