Franklin General Authority members approved $10,125 for fluoride disposal services at their Tuesday meeting.
The vote followed an incident in February when elevated levels of the acidic chemical were discovered in some residents’ water in the Third Ward, Oak Hill and Rocky Grove areas.
Residents went without drinkable water for several weeks after city crews found an equipment malfunction at Barrett Flats had allowed a surplus amount of fluoride into the system.
In June, the Authority voted to terminate fluoride services within the city’s water system due to ever-increasing costs surrounding fluoridation maintenance and the lack of a dental benefit of fluoride to people outside the age range of 4 to 11.
Authority members decided last month to seek continued fluoridation services for small children in the area, and they are working with local dentists and child-care professionals to do so. The fluoride source has yet to be determined.
Water department Supervisor Fred Leyda said Tuesday there are 400 gallons of fluoride to dispose of and offered to look for alternative, more cost-effective options outside of the Univar services.
Authority members went ahead with their vote in order to move forward with requirements set forth by the Department of Environmental Protection after the termination vote in June.
Leyda also announced all paperwork regarding the authority’s after-action improvement plan following the fluoride incident had been submitted to the DEP on Monday.
The plan outlines 36 improvements in a review of 10 response areas in the city, which include investigation, public information, incident management and training.
In other business
– Authority members approved $14,446 in additional funds for water line replacement work on the 1100 block of Elm Street. The project, which also includes line replacements on 12th Street from Eagle to Sassafras streets, is scheduled to be completed by next week.
– Line replacement work is finished on Spring Street, and line replacements on North Front Street from Rocky Grove to Fern avenues will follow.
– City Manager Tracy Jamieson reminded the board that any city street work to be done on Atlantic Avenue and Liberty Street from Washington Crossing to 15th Street should be scheduled within the next couple of years prior to a Pennsylvania Department of Transportation betterment project taking place on the roadways in the near future.
PennDOT work on Atlantic Avenue and Liberty Street could be in effect as soon as 2019 and 2020, respectively, Jamieson said, and will include paving on both streets and light pole replacements on Liberty Street.
The Franklin General Authority will next meet at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 11, in City Hall council chambers.
