CRANBERRY TWP — The township recently agreed to a new 25-year deal with West View Water Authority to provide water to residents.

Assistant township manager Duane McKee said Cranberry officials began serious talks with West View about six months ago. The township supervisors approved the new agreement earlier this month.

The new contract assures water service for Cranberry residents until April 30, 2039.

McKee said Cranberry already had a 20-year deal with West View in place, but that was to expire in 2017. However, West View is building a new water treatment plant, and officials with the authority talked to Cranberry officials first about a new contract.

“They came to us and wanted to secure their largest customer in the future,” McKee said. “They wanted to have a contract in place to show their lenders that they had secured us again.”

McKee said Cranberry annually budgets about $2.3 million for water, although the amount often comes in under budget.

He added, “We are their largest customer so we got a small discount,” he said. “They also provided us with a provision where, at any time, we could request a review of our rates.”

McKee said West View provides water service to about 10,000 customers in Cranberry. He couldn’t say what the average amount a resident pays in water per month, but said the average resident pays around $80 for water, sewer and trash combined on a monthly basis.

“It’s a good deal,” McKee said. “It assures us West View will provide safe, potable water well into the future.”