Quakertown, PA
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Infrastructure – What is it, what does it mean? The infrastructure in the Borough consists of the roads, water system, sewer system, electrical system, etc. Our lives as we know them depend on a reliable, well maintained infrastructure to support our needs as a Borough and in the big picture, our nation. In this discussion we will only talk about the water infrastructure that the Borough owns and operates.
The Borough’s water system and associated infrastructure was originally developed in the late 1800’s. In the beginning, the Borough didn’t own the system; it was privately owned and went by the name of the Quakertown Water Company. In the 1940’s it was sold and became the Quakertown Water Authority, and a short time later became municipally owned by the Borough and continues as such to this day.
As our town grew, the water system was expanded to accommodate growth adding additional water wells and water mains to meet the additional demand. As the years progressed it became apparent that the water system needed some upgrading, so in the 1960’s a large portion of the water mains, (approximately 30-35%), were replaced to provide better supply and fire fighting capability.
In the 1970’s, the Federal Government passed the Safe Drinking Water Act. As the act was expanded and the regulations became more stringent, the Borough began a program in the mid 1980’s to upgrade the water quality and water main replacements. This work continues even now. Periodically you will see equipment and the Water Department crew working on a street somewhere in the Borough replacing the water mains. Additionally, work is constantly being done to the wells and equipment that supply these water mains. This work mainly goes unnoticed because the wells and treatment facilities are scattered in and around the Borough. All of this is what makes up the water system infrastructure.
The Borough has spent millions of dollars over the years to upgrade and improve our system. It is a never ending process to keep pace with the systems’ needs. While not perfect, the water system is overall in good shape. With proper planning and funding, work will continue to be done to improve the Borough’s water infrastructure well into the future. While not every corner of the water system was discussed in this article, hopefully it did some good explaining of the water system infrastructure.
The Borough’s water system and associated infrastructure was originally developed in the late 1800’s. In the beginning, the Borough didn’t own the system; it was privately owned and went by the name of the Quakertown Water Company. In the 1940’s it was sold and became the Quakertown Water Authority, and a short time later became municipally owned by the Borough and continues as such to this day.
As our town grew, the water system was expanded to accommodate growth adding additional water wells and water mains to meet the additional demand. As the years progressed it became apparent that the water system needed some upgrading, so in the 1960’s a large portion of the water mains, (approximately 30-35%), were replaced to provide better supply and fire fighting capability.
In the 1970’s, the Federal Government passed the Safe Drinking Water Act. As the act was expanded and the regulations became more stringent, the Borough began a program in the mid 1980’s to upgrade the water quality and water main replacements. This work continues even now. Periodically you will see equipment and the Water Department crew working on a street somewhere in the Borough replacing the water mains. Additionally, work is constantly being done to the wells and equipment that supply these water mains. This work mainly goes unnoticed because the wells and treatment facilities are scattered in and around the Borough. All of this is what makes up the water system infrastructure.
The Borough has spent millions of dollars over the years to upgrade and improve our system. It is a never ending process to keep pace with the systems’ needs. While not perfect, the water system is overall in good shape. With proper planning and funding, work will continue to be done to improve the Borough’s water infrastructure well into the future. While not every corner of the water system was discussed in this article, hopefully it did some good explaining of the water system infrastructure.