North Penn Water Authority

North Penn Water Authority
Type	Municipal authority
Industry	Utilities
Founded	August 10, 1964
Headquarters	Lansdale, Pennsylvania , U.S.
Key people	Anthony J. Bellitto, Jr., P.E. (Executive Director)
Products	Water
Website	www.northpennwater.org

Last updated October 21, 2023

The North Penn Water Authority (NPWA) is a water utility providing drinking water to portions of Bucks and Montgomery counties in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, centered around the North Penn Valley region. The NPWA is a municipal authority that is owned by the municipalities that is serves. The NPWA provides drinking water to over 34,000 customers in 20 municipalities. The authority was formed in 1964 and has grown over the years.

Service area

The NPWA provides drinking water to portions of Bucks and Montgomery counties centered around the North Penn Valley region, serving over 34,000 customers.^[1]^[2] In Montgomery County, the NPWA serves the boroughs of Hatfield, Lansdale, and Souderton; all of Franconia Township, Lower Salford Township, Skippack Township, and Towamencin Township; almost all of Hatfield Township; most of Worcester Township; and small portions of Montgomery Township, Salford Township, Upper Gwynedd Township, and Upper Salford Township. In Bucks County, the NPWA serves the borough of Sellersville; parts of Hilltown Township and New Britain Township; and small portions of the borough of New Britain, East Rockhill Township, and West Rockhill Township.^[2]

Governance

The NPWA is a municipal authority that is owned by the municipalities that it serves. The authority is governed by a ten-member Board of Directors who are appointed to five year terms by member municipalities. The Board of Directors hold meetings once a month that the public can attend.^[1] The NPWA has a management team that is in charge of the daily operations. As of 2018, Anthony J. Bellitto, Jr., P.E. is the Executive Director of NPWA.^[3]

Water supply

About 90 percent of the water delivered to customers by the NPWA is treated at the Forest Park Water Treatment Plant in Chalfont, a facility that is owned jointly with the North Wales Water Authority (NWWA). The water treated at this plant comes from the North Branch Neshaminy Creek, which flows into Lake Galena, a reservoir for the water treated at the Forest Park Water Treatment Plant. Water released from Lake Galena flows down the creek to the Forest Park Water Treatment Plant. During the summer months and times when water levels are low, additional water is pumped from the Delaware River at Point Pleasant and diverted to the North Branch Neshaminy Creek near Gardenville.^[4] The Forest Park Water Treatment Plant is the largest water treatment plant in Bucks County and processes up to 40 million gallons water a day for delivery to NPWA and NWWA customers.^[5] From the Forest Park Water Treatment Plant, a main carries water to the NPWA service area, where it is delivered to customers.^[6] The NPWA also operates 15 groundwater wells across its service area in Bucks and Montgomery counties to supply water.^[4]

History

The origins of the authority date back to 1958 when a group of citizens from several municipalities in the North Penn Valley region formed the North Penn Water Resources Association to improve the drinking water supply in the area. The NPWA was incorporated on August 10, 1964, with Lansdale, Souderton, Franconia Township, Hatfield Township, Lower Salford Township, Towamencin Township, and Worcester Township the original municipalities that formed the authority. In August 1965, the NPWA purchased and began operating the water systems in Lansdale and Souderton. A transmission line was soon built to connect the water systems in the two boroughs. The authority gained more customers as the North Penn Valley region grew in population. In 1975, the NPWA acquired four small water systems and eight wells in Skippack Township and a small water system in Hilltown Township. Additional municipalities became members of NPWA in the 1980s, with Skippack Township joining in April 1986 and New Britain Township and the borough of Hatfield joining in 1987. The NPWA took over the water system in New Britain Township in August 1987 and the borough of Hatfield in February 1988.^[7]

In the 1970s and 1980s, water shortages became a problem for the NPWA as the population of the service area grew. An expansion to 55 groundwater wells and the purchase of surface water from outside sources helped alleviate the problem. Despite this, an additional surface water source was needed to supply the authority in the future. In 1987, the NPWA and the NWWA began construction of an Interim Treatment Plant at the present location of the Forest Park Water Treatment Plant in Chalfont. The interim plant opened in February 1989 and supplied 3.2 million gallons of water a day. Construction of a permanent Forest Park Water Treatment Plant to supply 20 million gallons of water a day began in June 1991. The Forest Park Water Treatment Plant began operation on June 21, 1994. An expansion to the Forest Park Water Treatment Plant in 2007 increased the output to 40 million gallons of water a day to keep up with the growing water use of the area. In 2011, the NPWA took over the water system in Sellersville.^[7]

Related Research Articles

Montgomery County, colloquially referred to as Montco, is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is the third-most populous county in Pennsylvania and the 73rd-most populous county in the United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the county was 856,553, representing a 7.1% increase from the 799,884 residents counted in the 2010 census. Montgomery County is located adjacent to and northwest of Philadelphia. The county seat and largest city is Norristown. Montgomery County is geographically diverse, ranging from farms and open land in the extreme north of the county to densely populated suburban neighborhoods in the southern and central portions of the county.

Hilltown Township is a township in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 15,029 at the 2010 census. Most of Hilltown is part of Pennridge School District, while a small portion in Line Lexington is part of North Penn School District.

New Britain Township is a township in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 11,070 at the 2010 census.

Franconia Township is a township in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 13,064 at the 2010 census.

Hatfield is a borough in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 3,290 at the time of the 2010 census. It is part of the North Penn Valley region that is centered around the borough of Lansdale. The borough is surrounded by Hatfield Township.

Hatfield Township is a township in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 17,249 at the 2010 census. It is part of the North Penn Valley region which is centered around the borough of Lansdale.

Lansdale is a borough in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is a densely-populated commuter town, with many residents traveling daily to Philadelphia using SEPTA Regional Rail's Lansdale/Doylestown Line. In 1900, 2,754 people lived here; in 1910, 3,551; and in 1940, 9,316 people were inhabitants of Lansdale. The population was 18,773 at the 2020 census.

Montgomery Township is a township in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. It is the location of the Montgomery Mall, a regional shopping mall serving the Route 309 corridor of the Philadelphia suburbs. Much of Montgomery Township's development is suburban in character, with newer tract houses and strip shopping centers. Homes in Montgomery Township have North Wales and Lansdale addresses, but businesses that are located within the township boundaries are given the Montgomeryville ZIP Code. The township is in the North Penn School District and is part of the North Penn Valley region that is centered around the borough of Lansdale.

Souderton is a borough in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 7,246 in 2022 according to the Census Bureau.

Towamencin Township is a home rule township in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 17,578 at the 2010 census. It is part of the North Penn School District and the North Penn Valley region that is centered around the borough of Lansdale. Towamencin has residential neighborhoods, historic farmhouses, recreational facilities, many schools, and open spaces. The community is a mix of residential, commercial and rural development. The Township is centrally located within Montgomery County with easy access to the Pennsylvania Turnpike’s Northeast Extension.

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The North Penn Valley is a region of Philadelphia suburbs and exurbs in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. It is somewhat congruent with the North Penn School District. It contains the boroughs of North Wales, Lansdale, and Hatfield, as well as the surrounding townships. The area to its west has traditionally been more rural, while the suburbs to its south and east are, on the whole, more affluent and densely populated.

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The Reporter is the local newspaper based out of Lansdale, Pennsylvania owned by Journal Register Company. It primarily serves the communities in the North Penn Valley and the Souderton Area School District, including Lansdale Borough, Montgomery Township, Hatfield Township, Hatfield Borough, North Wales Borough, Towamencin Township, Skippack Township, Souderton Borough, Telford Borough, and other municipalities in northwest suburban Montgomery County in southeast Pennsylvania.

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Line Lexington is an unincorporated community located in the Delaware Valley on Route 309 in Bucks and Montgomery counties in Pennsylvania, United States. It is split between the Bucks County townships of Hilltown and New Britain and the Montgomery County township of Hatfield. The Montgomery County portion of the village is in the North Penn School District and is part of the North Penn Valley region that is centered on the borough of Lansdale. The Bucks County portion is also served by the North Penn School District. While it has its own post office with the ZIP code of 18932, portions use the Colmar ZIP code of 18915, the Chalfont ZIP code of 18914 or the Hatfield ZIP code of 19440. It is served by SEPTA Suburban Bus Route 132 and the nearest SEPTA Regional Rail stations are nearby in Colmar and Chalfont on the Lansdale/Doylestown Line. The Line Lexington telephone exchange uses area code 215.

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References

1 2 "About North Penn Water Authority". North Penn Water Authority. Retrieved February 22, 2018.
1 2 "Service Area". North Penn Water Authority. Retrieved February 22, 2018.
↑ "Management Team". North Penn Water Authority. Retrieved February 22, 2018.
1 2 "About Your Water". North Penn Water Authority. Retrieved February 22, 2018.
↑ Bagenstose, Kyle (August 22, 2017). "Bucks County's largest water treatment plant receives industry award". The Intelligencer. Doylestown, PA. Retrieved February 22, 2018.
↑ "Forest Park Water "Clearly the Finest"" (PDF). North Penn Water Authority and North Wales Water Authority. Retrieved January 28, 2015.
1 2 "History". North Penn Water Authority. Retrieved February 22, 2018.

External links

Official website

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[about-1] 1 2 "About North Penn Water Authority". North Penn Water Authority. Retrieved February 22, 2018.

[service-2] 1 2 "Service Area". North Penn Water Authority. Retrieved February 22, 2018.

[management-3] "Management Team". North Penn Water Authority. Retrieved February 22, 2018.

[aboutwater-4] 1 2 "About Your Water". North Penn Water Authority. Retrieved February 22, 2018.

[5] Bagenstose, Kyle (August 22, 2017). "Bucks County's largest water treatment plant receives industry award". The Intelligencer. Doylestown, PA. Retrieved February 22, 2018.

[brochure-6] "Forest Park Water "Clearly the Finest"" (PDF). North Penn Water Authority and North Wales Water Authority. Retrieved January 28, 2015.

[history-7] 1 2 "History". North Penn Water Authority. Retrieved February 22, 2018.

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