Numerous streets in the 4th Ward and elsewhere in the Township have been dug up by Aqua, and the utility is now in the process of repaving the impacted streets. It is important for you to know that this is an Aqua project, and not a Township project. No tax dollars are being spent, and all work by Aqua must be performed in accordance with our Township Code.

Aqua is required by Section 157-30 of the Township Code to repave  the portion of any streets it has opened, as follows:

When four or more openings, or one continuous opening, have been made within 100 linear feet of pavement, the permittee shall [pave] the traffic lanes in which the opening was made, for the entire length of highway between the ends of the furthest openings.

This means that if Aqua has made four openings in a 100 foot stretch of roadway, or has opened a 100 foot continuous stretch of roadway, it must repave the traffic lane it opened. For most streets, this means that Aqua must repave one-half of the street (one travel lane). Before the Board of Commissioners recently amended the ordinance, Aqua was only required to repave the specific part of the road it had opened. Our ordinance is similar to ordinances in neighboring communities.

I am aware that some workers are telling residents that the reason only one-half of a given road is being paved is because the Township is not paying for the work. This is not an accurate statement. The reason that only one-half of a road is being paved is because Aqua is repaving the road consistent with the Township Code.