Family has two wells, but not a drop to drink
Amanda Steen | Herald-Standard
Above, Harry Dice, left, watches as DEP mining engineer Scott Hamilton takes water samples from the well at Dice’s home in Hopwood, which Dice believes to be contaminated.
At left, Hamilton discusses a coal resources map as it relates to possible water contamination at Harry Dice’s house in Hopwood.
DEP mining engineer Scott Hamilton discusses a coal resources map as it relates to possible water contamination at Harry Dice's house in Hopwood.
Amanda Steen | Herald-Standard
Harry Dice, left, attempts to start the pump on his well so DEP Mining Engineer Scott Hamilton can take water samples to see if it is contaminated with mine drainage.
Harry and Florence Dice haul their drinking water from the spring at the old watering trough along Route 40, about a mile above their home in Hopwood.
The Dices built the house almost three years ago with the intent of using well water, only to find the 15-foot hand-dug well on the High Street property was contaminated with e. coli. They had a second well dug, a 240-foot deep well.
“It cost $8,000 to drill,” Harry Dice said. “I was told I may as well fill it in.”
Harry Dice said he had the water tested by H&H Water Controls in Carmichaels last year. While there was no presence of e. coli in the new well, the results were well above maximum contaminant levels for total dissolved solids, sulfate, iron, manganese and aluminum.
Based on those contaminants, state Department of Environmental Protection spokesman John Poister said it’s likely polluted with mine drainage, but DEP mining engineer Scott Hamilton was on site last week to take water samples for testing and confirmation. Hamilton, who is with the DEP’s Bureau of Abandoned Mine Reclamation, said no commercial mines were listed on his maps of the area, though several coal seams are evident. The Dices’ neighbor, Tim Hormell, who used to work at Laurel Caverns, said he found an old mine about a quarter of a mile up the mountain from the Dices’ property.
“I haven’t been able to find any record of it,” Hamilton said.
“We can show you where it’s at, but we don’t know which one it is,” Hormell told Hamilton.
Hamilton, Hormell and Dice hiked to the old mine site, but didn’t take any samples from it because of the risks involved. Hamilton said the entrance to the mine now looks like little more than a hollow under a rock ledge and that it most likely was never a commercial mine. The coal seam is so close to the surface in that area that chunks of coal could be found in a neighbor’s lawn near the wooded area.
Hamilton took samples from the Dices’ shallow well, but the pump on the Dices’ deep well, which hasn’t been used in the past year, wasn’t operating, so Hamilton took a sample from Hormell’s well instead.
“I don’t know whether I’d call it polluted; it’s hard water,” Hormell said of his well water.
Hormell said he hadn’t really thought about getting public water until after public sewerage was installed in the neighborhood.
“I think everyone in the neighborhood would accept it if it was available,” Hormell said.
In theory, that may be true. Eleven of the 16 households on High Street, Maple Lane, Old Oaks Road, Acorn Lane and Moonlight Drive signed a petition asking Pennsylvania American Water to extend a 6-inch line at the bottom of High Street to their homes.
“He came down to us and wanted to know if we would sign the petition. We agreed to do that because we have a sense of community,” said John Ruby, who lives on Old Oaks Road.
Ruby said most of the homeowners, however, also have a decent water supply.
“This area up here, the majority of people have their own water. Some have well water and a group of us have spring water. Other than sometimes it getting a little dry, we haven’t had any problems with it,” Ruby said.
Both Ruby and Hormell were hesitant to commit to installing city water if it meant any substantial outlay of cash. Pennsylvania American Water spokeswoman Jo Posti said the residents’ contribution could be significant.
“Our engineering department did do a preliminary estimate of what a project like this would cost. In addition to running a line, it also entails building a booster station,” Posti said.
The Dices’ home is .7 miles from the nearest existing water line, and it is all uphill. Posti said the estimate came in at $954,404 and under its licensing from the state Public Utility Commission, Pennsylvania American is required to contribute $10,563 per household to install new water lines.
The remainder of the cost is divided among the residents, who must commit to have service on the line for a 10-year period.
In the case of the line to the residents around High Street, there are 16 potential customers, Posti said, which would bring the cost per household to more than $49,000.
“We currently do not have any plans to run a line into that area where these people would be impacted,” Posti said.
Posti said the cost would include the installation of a 6-inch water main and a pump station large enough to provide adequate pressure for fire protection for all houses on the line.
“I don’t think that we as a company would be comfortable not providing fire protection,” Posti said.
Poister said it will take four to five weeks to get the water sample results back from the DEP laboratory in Harrisburg.
“When the testing comes back, we will develop a plan,” Poister said.
“If the tests come back and they say his water is undrinkable, there may be some avenues to take. The issue is always cost, but this will give him some facts that he can work with to make decisions.”
Jennifer Kocher, spokeswoman for the PUC which oversees water companies such as Pennsylvania American, said the PUC oversees water standards for companies, but this situation is different.
“Because this is a well situation, there is nothing we can mandate,” Kocher said.