NEWTOWN TOWNSHIP, PA — The Newtown Township Board of Supervisors at its Nov. 27 meeting voted to waive the land development process, clearing the way for a proposed expansion at the Newtown Artesian Water Company on Frost Lane.

The company will be spending $3.5 million to construct a new building containing two massive filters designed to remove PFAS (also known as forever chemicals) from the water supply. PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are toxic compounds linked to cancer, thyroid disorders, and other life-threatening health conditions.

Dan Angove, the CEO of the Newtown Artesian Water Company, said part of an 11.5 percent rate increase recently approved by the Pennsylvania Utility Commission, will go toward paying for the upgrade.

The increase, the first for the water utility since 2019, equates to an $11.94 increase per quarter or $4 a month more for the average consumer, according to Angove.

Water company officials said the new filters will bring “the acceptable level” of contamination down to zero to meet the new federal drinking water standards coming next year.

“We’re asking for the waiver to expedite the process and reduce the cost that we have to pass on to our ratepayers and your township residents and also be ready so we can start construction as soon as possible,” water company officials told the supervisors.

“That doesn’t mean we haven’t gone through a review process. We still went to the zoning hearing board to obtain zoning relief. We have had conversations with township staff. We have received letters from the township planner, the county planning commission, the township engineers and the planning commission. This project has been pretty thoroughly vetted at this point.”

In addition to a waiver for land development, the supervisors approved waivers for lighting, trash collection, and sidewalks.

“Very rarely will anybody be there,” water company officials told the supervisors of the new building. “If they are there it will probably be for maintenance or replacement of the filters. Nobody goes to this facility. It’s unmanned so there’s no need for trash collection, sidewalks and lighting. Essentially all we are doing is taking the existing facility, building a big box that will be attached to it, and putting two really big filters in there.

“We’re being told by the federal government that we have to do more to clean your water so we have to build a new box to put the filters in there,” said the water company.

During the discussion, the supervisors briefly debated whether to asked the company to pay a $20,000 fee in lieu of providing sidewalks at the site. The board eventually decided against the idea, which had been suggested by the planning commission.

Newtown Artesian provides water service to approximately 11,167 residential, business, public fire protection and private fire protection customers in Newtown Borough, Newtown Township, and the northern portion of Middletown Township.