JACKSON TWP — The Harmony Fire District has two potential plans for water sources to be used by MarkWest Energy on Hartmann Road for fire emergencies.

The plans come in response to MarkWest’s original intentions to use its own water source for fire hydrants instead of using a dry hydrant installed at a nearby pond.

The MarkWest plan’s vote was tabled earlier this month by the township planning commission.

A temporary, short-term plan would be to install pumps near bodies of water in the area.

A long-term plan, which fire officials said is more effective, is to install a water line from the closest, most feasible location to refill the facility’s on-site water tanks.

“I think that all parties can agree that the establishment of a looped water line is the best option,” Fire Chief Scott Garing said. “However, I’m unsure what the feasibility for that would be.”

Garing said some factors to look at for that plan include timetables, costs and input from neighbors.

Township manager Chris Rearick said MarkWest is in talks with Vogel Disposal Service for a public water line on Swain Hill Road.

“They (Vogel) are fully on board with it. They’re waiting to get some estimates from Pennsylvania American (Water Co.),” Rearick said.

He also said although it is in the public interest in encouraging public water to that area, discussions have been private between MarkWest, Vogel and Pennsylvania American.

Keystone Midstream, the company that preceded MarkWest, agreed with the township to use the dry hydrant which also came at the recommendation of the former Harmony Volunteer Fire Department.

A dry fire hydrant system uses bodies of water to fill firetrucks while wet fire hydrants are connected to a continuous supply of water.

The current dry hydrant is out of service. However Garing said the pond it is near is a potential location for a pump.

Fire district President Tim Sapienza said the concern that the fire district has the ability to protect other buildings in the area. If a building were to catch fire, the westward winds would blow toward the gas facility.

“We really would have no way to protect it,” he said. “We’re concerned about the whole area.”

Sapienza also said the water line would be more beneficial to the public rather than just to MarkWest.

MarkWest special projects manager Brian McHale said the facility has more than 2 million gallons of water in tanks in the facility’s rail yard and planned to install hydrants on Hartmann Road.

He also said the company has been talking with first responders to train for a potential on-site catastrophe.

The water issue is a major reason why MarkWest has not been given final approval for its Bluestone de-ethanizing gas compressor plant.