The Bucks County Water & Sewer Authority is suing the commonwealth and the PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources over the state's closure of the Upper Union Mills Bridge in New Hope.
The bridge over the Delaware Canal was taken offline June 14 following a June 8 inspection and, according to the complaint, no work has been done since the closure to get it back in working order.
That’s a problem for water and sewer authority customers because, according to the lawsuit, work crews need to cross the bridge to make emergency repairs at the authority’s water treatment facility.
And it raises a potentially dangerous issue at the Waterworks condominium complex because it’s one of only two bridges to the site, and the only one that some emergency responders can use, since the other bridge leads directly into a parking garage with a clearance of less than 7 feet.
“The condo community is prone to flooding, and emergency evacuations can be expected,” said John Cordisco, chair of BCWSA’s Board of Directors, in a statement. “Services will be delayed in responding to emergency situations, whether it’s flooding, a fire or any other serious incident in the community, risking life and property.”
The authority serves 2,600 customers in New Hope Borough, providing fresh drinking water to residences.
“The water treatment facility is critical infrastructure for the residents and businesses of New Hope Borough and the surrounding communities,” Cordisco added. “BCWSA needs to be able to access the facility with the correct equipment and machinery to conduct maintenance and any necessary repairs...”
According to the statement, the DCNR told the condominium association that it’d make temporary repairs to allow the bridge to reopen but that hasn’t happened.
“This has been an ongoing issue that needs to be resolved immediately,” Cordisco said.
So the authority wants the courts to intercede and make the needed bridge repairs at once.
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