After several years of water quality issues, Karns City is getting clean drinking water.

On June 3, elected officials and civil leaders celebrated the success of various community groups to provide clean drinking water to the area with its new water provider, Petroleum Valley Regional Water Authority, a municipal nonprofit public water authority.

The new water supply was made possible through a $125,000 grant from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania's Small Water and Sewer Program.

The water authority replaces D&D Miller Water Co., a private water company in Karns City that previously provided water to customers in the area, including the Karns City junior and senior high schools. Tests by the state's Department of Environmental Protection revealed elevated levels of lead and copper in several water fixtures.

Earlier this year, D&D Miller Water Co. was unable to continue providing water to the area because of the DEP violations of failing to remove bacteria from the water and having elevated lead and copper levels. These multiple contaminants forced the company to stop distribution.

According to the state DEP, the former operators, David Miller and Diane Miller, allowed the source water from a spring and a disinfection system to fall into disrepair, causing the DEP to issue a field order in November 2019.

Through a court proceeding DEP had against the Millers for their failing system, the system was transferred to the Petroleum Valley Regional Water Authority, according to a spokesman for the DEP.

The water authority replaced all of the infrastructure and main lines needed to provide water to the 73 customers in the Karns City borough area.

The authority also immediately set up an emergency connection and was able to set up a permanent water supply through the grant, which helped to alleviate installation costs.

Nicholas Kerr, the water authority's general manager, noted that without the grant, Karns City area customers would have faced a significant financial burden to cover the costs.

The Petrolia-based authority was founded in 2002 to provide drinking water to an area without any of its own.

The area was involved in years of heavy industrial use, and groundwater that ordinarily could be tapped in Petrolia's watershed is reportedly polluted.

Instead, the agency bought and continues to buy its water from East Brady, and it continues to seek more water sources.

The state grant was awarded with the help of State Sen. Joe Pittman, R-41st, and State Rep. Marci Mustello, R-11th.