Overview

Warwick Township Municipal Authority (WTMA), Lancaster County, operates two water systems – Rothsville and Lititz. The Rothsville System’s 750 customers were served by supply one well, a treatment system consisting of nitrate removal and disinfection, two 440,000 gallon water storage standpipes.

The WTMA Rothsville Water System was served is not interconnected to any other water system. An evaluation of the water system identified a need to add a second water source to increase the system reliability. We assisted WTMA with engineering design and services during construction to complete the second well and integrate it into the water system.

WTMA drilled and tested the second well approximately ¼-mile from the existing Well #1. Their hydrogeologic study indicated sufficient water supply over continuous pumping at 200 gallons per minute over a 72 hour period, with minimal effects on surrounding private wells. Based on this report, WTMA proceeded with securing property and easements for future access and operations of the new well.

Following Susquehanna River Basin Commission approvals, we began design and permitting. PADEP issued the Public Water Supply Permit Amendment and construction of the Rothsville Well No. 2 facility began soon after. We provided bidding, construction phase services, and part-time construction observation. As a special condition of the Construction Permit, PADEP required that a Surface Water Identification Protocol (SWIP) Monitoring Plan be submitted. The monitoring plan provided an investigation of whether there is a direct influence of surface water on the newly developed well or not. We prepared the SWIP Monitoring Plan to provide guidance to WTMA personnel to comply with PADEP requirements.

Primary elements of the project included a well house constructed over Well No. 2, installation of a vertical turbine pump, and approximately 2,000 linear feet of transmission main. The transmission main was connected to the existing raw water line in the Well No.1 Building prior to any treatment. Well No. 2 included a blow-off, single check valve, gate valves, flow meter, and a pressure sensor/gauge assembly. Communication to the SCADA system was made via radio transmission to Well No. 1 Building.

With well #2 online, WTMA’s Rothsville Water system supply is more reliable, having the additional capacity and redundancy to continue supplying clean drinking water to its customers as future growth and other challenges arise.