Ferguson Township to look at source water protection ordinance

The Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a request for the township to develop a source water protection ordinance covering the township’s wellfields.

The request came in conjunction with discussions on a revised stormwater management ordinance within the township. According to the township, representatives of the State College Borough Water Authority advocated for a source water/wellhead protection ordinance.

While there would be consistency across both stormwater and wellhead protection ordinances, township Manager Mark Kunkle said, the wellhead ordinance would work best as a land use regulation. Integration into the stormwater ordinance would not be recommended.

Speed would also be of the essence for a protection ordinance, Kunkle said, as it has been pointed out in previous discussions that the geology of Ferguson Township differs greatly from the rest of the municipalities in the region. A protection ordinance could act as a model for the rest of the region.

The township would be using similar ordinances passed by the water authority and by College Township as models for their own, he said.

The township Planning Commission will be directed to work with staff, the State College Borough Water Authority and the Rock Springs Water Co. to develop an ordinance to consider.

In other business, discussion of the proposed stormwater ordinance has been pushed until March to allow the board more time to gather input and expertise from concerned groups.

This story was originally published February 2, 2016 at 6:58 PM with the headline "Ferguson Township to look at source water protection ordinance."