Olympus Energy pays $1.2M to extend waterlines near Marcellus well sites in Upper Burrell, Allegheny Township

Olympus Energy is paying $1.2 million to the Municipal Authority of the City of New Kensington to extend about 3 miles of waterlines near three Marcellus well sites in Upper Burrell and Allegheny Township.

The energy company is buying water from the municipal authority and paying to pipe the water to the well pads to reduce costs and truck traffic at the sites, said Kimberly Price, an Olympus spokeswoman.

In Upper Burrell, Olympus Energy of Canonsburg is planning to install a new Marcellus shale well on Alcoa property off of White Cloud Road and to add additional wells at the existing Zeus well pad off of Guyer Road.

Additionally, Olympus plans to drill four new wells at the existing Porter well pad along Willowbrook Road in Allegheny Township, Price said.

The new four new waterline extensions will tie into existing ones, said Jim Matta, general manager of the New Kensington water authority.

New lines will be laid this year in Upper Burrell along White Cloud Road from Alcoa Drive to Oak Lake Road; along Melwood Road from Greenwood Road to Watters Road; Guyer Road near Bethesda Drive to the intersection of Markle Road and Schafer Drive; and Woodland Road at the Upper Burrell and Allegheny Township border to Willowbrook and Grossheim roads.

While more than 90% of the township has public water, about 49 homes without public water could choose to tap into the new water line extensions, Matta said. Tap-in fees for any customer run about $3,100, plus other expenses depending on the site. In addition, customers would have to pay for their own service line from the main water line along the road to their home.

Leonard Lester who lives in a home along Guyer Road near Olympus’ Zeus well said he doesn’t need to tap into public water. He has his own well and the water quality is good.

“If they are willing to put in the waterlines, I have no problem with that,” he said. However, he doesn’t want to see a situation where residents would be mandated to tap in.

Upper Burrell Township Supervisors Chairman Ross Walker said there will be no mandates to for residents to tap in.

The additional waterline extensions in the township are somewhat of a bonus since the neither the township or the residents are paying for them, Walker said.

If residents want to tap-in, they will need to contact the water authority.

The township is not coordinating the tap-ins, Walker said. Residents seeking financial assistance for a tap-in will need to contact the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development and other state and county offices, he said.

The waterline extensions and connections will improve flow and water quality, Matta said.

The new waterlines are a good thing for the township, said Upper Burrell’s engineer, Dave Kerchner of Bankson Engineers.

“Everyone will see improvement in water quantity and quality and will have the ability to tap into the public lines,” he said.

The authority’s board recently awarded the waterline job for $1.2 million to S&E Utility Contracting Inc. of Harrison City.

The project could begin as early as April 1, Matta said, and will take about three to four months to complete.