Oct 21, 2022 3 min read

The Greene County Commissioners voted Thursday to submit Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) applications, including for a $1.93 million grant for the East Dunkard Township Water Authority.

The money will be part of a major project to fix a host of issues plaguing the water authority. The funding will go toward replacing the iron main waterline, pumps, gate valves and blow-off valves, and the inspection and rehabilitation of eight storage tanks. The grant is also expected to help the authority run a connector line with Southwestern Pennsylvania American Water Authority to purchase water from it.

An additional $2.3 million in federal funding has been earmarked for the project as well, but Commissioner Mike Belding previously said it ultimately might not be enough.

Customers have had issues with water quality, and there were two boil water advisories earlier this year. Belding previously compared the situation to the Flint, Mich., water crisis but on a smaller scale.

Following Thursday’s meeting, Belding explained that the CDBG fund will be given to the water authority as reimbursement.

“They don’t get all the money up front. We give the money back to them to cover their expenses,” Belding said.

Beyond quality issues, East Dunkard Water Authority is also facing a potential $225,000 civil penalty from the Public Utility Commission for providing water to five neighboring communities since 2011 without regulatory approval.

An administrative law judge is reviewing a settlement between the authority and the PUC and will make a recommendation to the agency’s board of commissioners.

In the meantime, the water authority recently informed its customers they would see a $16.07 surcharge on their bills for 10 months beginning in November as a result of the penalty.

In other business, the commissioners also approved an arbitration award between the county and the Service Employees International Union Local 668.

Belding said following the meeting that the county had a target date of Jan. 1 of this year to reach contract agreements with the five unions that represent its employees. Local 668, which represents the sheriff’s office, staffs of magisterial judges and the row offices, was the only one that went to arbitration.

“That arbitration agreement mirrored the other four union agreements,” Belding said.

During the salary board meeting Thursday, employees in the various departments represented by Local 668 had their job titles reclassified as a result of the arbitration.

The salary board consists of the commissioners and County Controller Ami Cree.