MANSFIELD - Richmond Township's water task force has begun working on finding more water for the township's rapidly growing area south of the borough along the I-99 corridor.
Ed Trask of Mansfield, chairman of the task force, said the group has met twice in the past month.
"I was asked to call Moody's (hydrologists) and to have a proposal by the end of the week from them," Trask said.
Once the figure is presented by Trask to the rest of the task force, they will review their plan to drill test wells to locate water for quality and quantity, Trask added.
"It will probably take four to six months for the entire process," Trask said.
Funding for the project has yet to be determined.
"We have to find out how much it is, but we don't really know how we would pay for it," he said, nor has it been determined just where the test wells would be drilled.
"It will be south of the borough line but before the Putnam Township line," he added. "We just want to find the best spot possible."
A regional meeting comprised of representatives from other municipalities along the corridor also has met to discuss what can be done from their perspectives, said facilitator Dave Flesch, who added: "If we want to do anything, we have to find water."
Flesch said he is working with the other municipalities on a needs assessment and funding stream for the project.
"We think it will be $15,000 just to do the water aspect of the needs assessment.
"There is gas impact money, block grants. TCDC may contribute, BOOM may contribute and there may even be some private entities that might consider funding this as well," he said.
"We have to be pretty aggressive at this point because if you want to do anything here you have to have water."
Richmond Township has relied on Mansfield for its water in the areas surrounding the borough, but according to Trask, Mansfield is "maxed out," and cannot supply any more water for any new projects.
A manufacturing business that wanted to come in on property across from West's Restaurant has been put on hold because a stipulation in its insurance agreement mandates it must have municipal water for its fire protection.
"The borough is totally shut down so they aren't about to let us have any," Trask added.
"There is other water available," said township Supervisor Chuck Neal. "Blossburg has extra water."
Mansfield University is working on theirs, but they don't know how much they have yet, he added.
In other business, supervisors:
Heard that the Mansfield fire department wants to increase its millage received from the township for fire protection by .0002 mill to .0032 mills, with further increases through 10 years to keep its equipment updated.
Set budget meetings for 6 p.m. Oct. 10 and Oct. 29.
Set Fall Clean Up day from 8 a.m. to noon Oct. 6.
