East Deer commissioner OK with water rate increase imposed by Tarentum

Tarentum last week approved increasing water rates for East Deer by 15% while decreasing the base rate for its own residents by 8%.

As of Monday, East Deer had not yet received official word from the borough regarding the increase, Commissioners Chairman Tony Taliani said.

“We have gotten no official notification in the form of a letter or any other correspondence other than what was in the newspaper,” Taliani said Monday. “I would expect that they would send us formal notification.”

Tarentum has been selling water to East Deer under a contract that dates to 1972 and has been renewed every 15 years, most recently in 2017. It prevents the borough from increasing the rate it charges East Deer by more than 3 cents per 1,000 gallons without increasing rates on its own residents.

Tarentum residents with a ⁵⁄₈-inch pipe will now pay $23 per month as opposed to $25, a $2 decrease.

The overage rate for all customers was increased by 90 cents, from $5.83 to $6.73 per 1,000 gallons.

Taliani said East Deer Solicitor Craig Alexander is going over the proposal to make sure Tarentum is following the contract, which it appears to have done. Taliani said he has no hard feelings, nor was he surprised by the water rate increase.

Taliani said the last time the borough increased water rates for East Deer customers was in 2013.

“What else do you know of that hasn’t gone up since 2013? We’ve had a good relationship with Tarentum,” Taliani said.

Tarentum Borough Manager Mike Nestico said the borough will send official notification to East Deer this week. The new rates will take effect starting Jan. 1.

Taliani said East Deer won’t be looking for a new water service provider, as the township has a contract with Tarentum that extends to 2032. Tarentum Council in May voted to notify East Deer it will opt out of the agreement when it expires in 2032 because it is no longer in the borough’s interests.

Taliani said the township is buying less water off Tarentum than in previous years because the Pittsburgh Glass Works plant shut down. The property was purchased by Creighton Property Holdings LLC in October 2019. The company is owned by Cliff Forrest, who also owns Kittanning-based Rosebud Mining Co.

“Rosebud’s been doing some work down there. They put a new water line in. The fire seems to be dissipating that was down there, the underground fire,” Taliani said. “We’re hopeful that something else will go in there, and maybe they’ll be a water consumer.”

The company has not yet laid out definitive plans for the property but said it will be utilized in some manner.

“I do not know if you can see it from the road, but we have a contractor in there rolling along with the demolition and cleaning out of the buildings,” said Jim Barker, executive vice president at Rosebud Mining Co. “Hopefully in four to six months, let’s call it spring, he’ll be all wrapped up, and we can make a decision then.”