Newtown Artesian Given Planning Nod For Plant Expansion

NEWTOWN TOWNSHIP, PA — The planning commission this week gave its unanimous support to the Newtown Artesian Water Company and its plans for a building addition at its plant on Frost Lane to filter out harmful contaminants from its system.

The commission members voted to recommend that the board of supervisors support the company’s request for a special exception and variances from the zoning hearing board. The zoning board is scheduled to hear the appeal in early April.

“I think this is absolutely necessary to address all the issues that are coming down the road,” said planning chair Peggy Driscoll after listening to a presentation by the water company.

The company is seeking a special exception and variances to build a 2,000-square-foot, two-story addition onto its Utility Operating Facility, including related driveway and parking improvements.

The company’s attorney Christen G. Pionzio joined civil engineer Tim Brennan and Newtown Artesian CEO Dan Angove at the meeting to brief the planners on the project.

With PFOS and PFAS contamination spreading out from the Willow Grove Naval Air Station to Montgomery and Bucks counties, the Newtown water system is planning to add a new filtration system to remove any contaminants that might enter the system, says the company's
application.

“Currently the water the company is supplying is safe. It meets EPA standards,” said Pionzio. “However, we know that EPA is going to lower those standards. To meet them we need to add carbon filters to clean the water and take it down to the level of what we call non-detect. That is what is driving the addition of what we are proposing.”

The addition will be built to the rear of the existing building, said Pionzio. The good news, she said, is that it backs up to open space.

“We need a rear yard variance for the addition. There’s a 60-foot requirement. We’re about 36 feet. There’s also a 50-foot buffer on top of that for the driveway and the building," she told the planners. "We asked for a height variance so that we could design an addition that looks more residential and in keeping with the neighborhood. It’s not something you’re going to readily see from the road but we thought the effort was worth it."

The utility said the relief being requested from the zoning board is the minimum necessary "to afford reasonable use of the property considering the existing and threatened contamination of the public water system. What is proposed is in keeping with the character of the neighborhood ... What is proposed is not adverse to public health, safety and welfare, but in furtherance of it."

Construction is scheduled to begin in 2025 with an opening in 2026.