Summary of the Stewartstown Water Problem
In 1997, a Water Study was completed that concluded that in the near future, our current water system will not produce enough water to supply the needs of all of its customers; therefore, we need a new source of drinking water. To solve this problem, and complaints about the quality and cost of the water from our current water system, the AWARE group would like the Stewartstown Borough to sell the entire water system to the York Water Co, immediately. The Borough would like to supplement our current water supply by drawing water from Ebaugh Creek.
The following is a brief comparison of the two options. For a more detailed comparison, refer to the October 1998 "Matrix" Issue of the AWARE Newsletter.
Tap-into Ebaugh Creek:
| Cost | We will spend over $1 Million to build an additional facility to pump and filter water from Ebaugh Creek. |
| Quality | For 8 years, Ebaugh Creek has been rated poor by the Susquehanna River Basin Commission - a Federal regulatoty agency. |
| Quantity | Ebaugh Creek is tiny and does not have enough water to meet our needs. We may have to look for more water again. |
| Rates | Our already high water rates will probably go up in order to pay for and maintain the additional facilities and equipment. |
Sell the system to York Water Company:
| Cost | York Water Company will pay us for our system and connect it to their system for free. |
| Quality | York Water Company has a long history of providing good clean water. |
| Quantity | York Water Company has a large reservoir system that has plenty of water, and they are always planning for their future needs. |
| Rates | For most water customers, their water rate would be cut almost in half. |
The AWARE group thinks that the choice is obvious. We can either spend over a million dollars to obtain water of questionable quality and quantity and then pay more each month to use it, or we can have someone pay us to supply us with plenty of good, clean, water and then charge us a lot less each month for it.