CONNOQUENESSING TWP — The program to offer water cisterns to about 25 homeowners in the Woodlands community has gotten mixed reaction.

The Butler County Housing and Redevelopment Authority recently started its Woodlands Demonstration Cistern Pilot Program, which will install 500 to 1,000 gallon tanks at the homes of qualifying low-to-moderate income families.

The authority would supply the first filling of the tank, then the landowner would be responsible to keep the tank filled.

Some Woodlands residents think the program will be helpful while others dismiss it, and hope for a more permanent solution to their water problems.

“It sounds like it would help, from what I understand of it,” said Ruth Armstrong, who lives on Connoquenessing Drive in the Woodlands. “I think it would help a lot. Right now people are getting bottles of water from the church.”

Armstrong said, “Personally I don’t have any trouble with my water, but some of the people I’ve read about live real close to me.”

There has been controversy in the past couple of years as to whether natural gas drilling by Rex Energy has contaminated the water of a number of residents in the Woodlands.

Rex Energy and the state Department of Environmental Protection have studied the matter and have issued reports stating the Woodlands’ water is safe to drink.

But some residents have reported water problems since the drilling began.

Armstrong said her son, Richard Armstrong, who lives down road from her, has had problems with his water for years.

“He’s always had water problems,” she said.

Richard Armstrong said while his water is bad, he doesn’t think he would be interested in a tank.

“I had my water tested and they said it was safe to drink,” he said. “It doesn’t taste great, but I’m not going to get sick from it.”

Armstrong said he is considering buying a filtering system for his home.

While his water has a noticeable odor, Armstrong said he doesn’t believe it to be a result of Rex Energy drilling.

“I don’t think they have anything to do with it at all,” he said. “From the people I’ve talked to, it seems like they did everything safely.”

Paul Harper, who lives along Hill Top Drive, disagrees.

“People over here never had trouble with the water,” he said. “My mother lived here for 50 years and never had an issue.”

Harper said when Rex Energy moved in, his water went bad.

“When Rex Energy started drilling, everybody’s water started turning,” he said. “I have nothing against natural gas, but the way they’re going about it is wrong.”

Harper said his water is dark brown when it comes out of the well.

“You can’t drink it,” he said. “It’s not water for human consumption.”

Harper said his well water was so bad that he used to give his dog, who recently died, bottled water.

Harper, who had a filtering system installed in his home to make the water drinkable, said he was not impressed with the housing authority’s proposed cistern program.

“I think that’s a joke,” he said. “They’ll fill it up the first time, but when it runs low you have to have it filled.”

Harper said it would be impractical for low-income families to keep a tank filled.

“Do you know how much it would cost to have a tank consistently filled?,” Harper said. “A lot of people out here have three to five kids. You tell me how long a water tank will last.”

Harper said there needs to be a more permanent solution to the water problems in the Woodlands, such as running a pipeline to the residents.

“Without water, you can’t sustain life,” he said. “People out here need water.”

The housing authority is mailing informational brochures on the program to all Woodlands residents.

Perry O’Malley, the director of the authority, said all of the brochures will be mailed out by today.

Interested residents can return an attached slip to the brochure to the authority to receive an application for the cistern.

O’Malley said he has yet to receive feedback from any Woodlands residents on the program.

He estimated that about 25 residents would qualify for the program, which would cost the authority up to $125,000.

The Butler Eagle visited the homes of numerous other Woodlands residents, who either were not home or refused to comment.

Connoquenessing Township supervisors could not be reached for comment.