Access to clean water coming to dozens of residents in Bell Township
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Kim Hardin is tired of having orange-colored water at her residence on Forest Drive in Bell Township.
“The sooner I can get city water, the happier I’ll be,” Hardin said. “My commodes and tubs in the bathrooms were so orange when we bought this house eight years ago — it took weeks of scrubbing to get them clean.”
Hardin, 59, said high iron levels in her home’s well water are the color-changing culprit.
But there’s hope for clean water on the horizon for the Hardins and 54 other township property owners along Forest Drive and Bell Point, Bowman and Moore roads.
The affected property owners, currently using a well for their water, will have new waterlines installed this year, thanks to a donation of $250,000 from the CNX Foundation.
On Thursday, CNX officials presented township officials and Bell Township volunteer firefighters with a ceremonial check for $250,000 to pay for upgrades and extensions to municipal waterlines and the installation of fire hydrants.
The CNX Foundation is a nonprofit based in Canonsburg investing in urban and rural communities with socioeconomic challenges. CNX is an independent natural gas development company that has been in business for 155 years with operations focused in the major shale formations in the Appalachian Basin.
Bell Township has ongoing gas well operations with CNX, with six well pads and 20 wells planned in the township.
Brian Aiello of CNX said Bell Township is in an underrepresented portion of Westmoreland County.
“Over the next three years, we’re going to spend about $350 million in capital for more pads and wells,” Aiello said. “We’re helping the local residents.”
In conjunction with covid-19 recovery relief funding of $238,000, Township Secretary Angela Duffner said, the pipes have been ordered and will be delivered in four to six months.
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The waterline upgrade will benefit the Bell Township Volunteer Fire Department by providing larger pipes, which will allow for more water pressure, VFD President Cody Auden said.
He said the project will make a huge difference.
“It will give us more fire protection, having more fire hydrants and water sources,” Auden said. “From Forest Drive, we were 2½ miles from the nearest hydrant. This will be game-changing.”
Township Supervisor John Bowman said waterline enhancements will include replacing 4-inch pipes installed during the 1970s with 12-inch pipes for a length of 12,000 feet.
“This would not be financially possible without the help of CNX Foundation,” Bowman said.
In addition, CNX Foundation is hosting a golf outing July 22 at the Links at Spring Church. All funds raised will be matched by the foundation and will benefit the Bell Township Volunteer Fire Department.