Historic Edgewood village toasts the New Year with public water and sewer

LOWER MAKEFIELD – Dave and Betsy Miller, along with their granddaughter, Juliet, toasted the New Year in an unusual place – the basement of their historic home in Edgewood Village.

With champagne in hand, they celebrated as Juliet turned the valve, RIfiFLDOOy FRnnHFWLnJ WKH house to public water. For 43 years, the Millers had relied on a 200-yearROd, KDnd-duJ, fiHOdVWRnH lined well and cesspool for their water and sewer needs.

Until recently, most of the 30 properties in the crossroads village, where Ya r d l e y - L a n g h o r n e , Edgewood and Stony Hill roads intersect, have relied on failing septic systems and wells with questionable water quality, according to Dave Miller.

Sewer and water main extensions were implemented after years of effort by village residents, the Bucks County Department of Environmental Protection and elected JRYHUnPHnW RIfiFLDOV.

The project got a huge boost in May 2011 when State Rep. Steve Santarsiero, with support from State Sen. Chuck McIlhinney, applied for and received an $850,000 state grant for Lower 0DNHfiHOd WR KHOS Iund the installation of a sewer extension to the properties in the village.

Construction of the village extension was completed in June 2012 and the Millers connected to the system in November.

Simultaneously, in June 2012, Stacy Mulholland, director of community outreach from Congressman Mike Fitzpatrick’s RIfiFH, DUUDnJHd Dnd chaired a meeting with Brian Hassinger, of the Pennsylvania- American Water Company. Also in attendance were township supervisor Jeff Benedetto, township manager Terry Fedorchak and village residents who did not have access to a water main.

The meeting led to an agreement to provide public water access to all but four village properties. The remaining four will link into the system when the Flowers Field project at the corner of Yardley-Langhorne and Stony Hill roads is developed.

“Special thanks to Elizabeth Mahoney and Stefanie Yosmanowich from the state Department of Environmental Protection for monitoring the township’s Act 537 Plan requirements, to the WRwnVKLS RIfiFH VWDII IRU processing the paperwork and facilitating the permits, to township inspectors who did their jobs with a considerate approach to their duties and above all to the village residents who persevered and eventually succeeded in their quest to have public sewer and water available in the village,” said Miller.