CRANBERRY TWP — Township officials are considering offering a credit on the water bill of customers who participate in a newly expanded water testing program.

The township supervisors last week approved a new test protocol for its water to meet recently revised federal Environmental Protection Agency guidelines.

Instead of testing the water for coliform bacteria, which is an indicator that water may contain E. coli, water companies and municipalities now are required to test for E. coli directly.

The Brush Creek treatment plant has never found coliform or E. coli in its water in 27 years, plant manager Mike Sedon said.

The new testing requirements will add $45,000 per year in costs, Sedon said.

Township manager Jerry Andree said the township plans to roll out procedures for resident participation in the next 60 days.

The township will seek 22 residents to volunteer to have their water tested.

Township staff must collect the samples in the morning before a 10 a.m. deadline. They also must collect water from different areas in the township.

Officials tentatively plan to give a $50 credit annually, the average monthly water bill for a house, to each of the residents who volunteer, Andree said.

Cranberry gets its water from the West View Water Authority.