MOON TOWNSHIP MUNICIPAL AUTHORITY
1700 Beaver Grade Road, Coraopolis, PA 15108
PWS ID #5020011
Source Water Assessment Public Summary
Introduction
The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), Bureau of Water Supply
Management, is completing assessments of the contaminant threats to the raw water quality of all public
drinking water sources as required by the 1996 reauthorization of the Safe Drinking Water Act. DEP has
prepared this Report to provide information to support local and state efforts to protect the raw water
quality of Moon Township Municipal Authority’s drinking water source. The information in this
assessment pertains to the land area that provides groundwater to Moon Township Municipal Authority
that is then treated for drinking water use. The assessment is of “source” (groundwater) rather than tap
water. Information on tap water quality is available in Moon Township Municipal Authority’s Annual
Consumer Confidence Report.
What is the Source of Your Drinking Water?
The sources of water for Moon Township are four (4) groundwater wells. An average of 3,245,000
gallons of water are withdrawn each day. The assessment area for these four wells is approximately 0.39
square miles and is within the municipalities of Moon Township, Sewickley Borough, and Coraopolis
Borough. The water system serves a population of approximately 20,675 people including some
residential and commercial customers from Findlay Township. Moon Township Municipal Authority
also sells water to Western Allegheny County Municipal Authority and has additional interconnections
with Robinson Township Municipal Authority and Borough of Coraopolis. Approximately 42 percent of
the assessment area is low/high density development (primarily commercial/industrial), 42 percent is
water (Ohio River), and 15 percent is undeveloped, vegetated areas.
Water Quality and Water Treatment Information
Water pumped from the wells is treated and filtered before entering the distribution system. Treatment
includes iron and manganese removal, pH adjustment, filtration and disinfection. Water quality testing
performed by Moon Township Municipal Authority indicated that results of entry point and tap water
sampling done in 2001 were acceptable. For further information regarding the quality of the system’s
finished (tap) water, please refer to their Annual Consumer Confidence Report.
Evaluation of Significant Potential Sources of Contamination
This assessment evaluates contaminants that may enter the water drawn directly from the Authority’s
wells. The contaminants addressed in this assessment include those regulated under the federal Safe
Drinking Water Act as well as those DEP has determined may present a concern to public health. The
table below provides a brief description of only the most significant potential sources of contamination
associated with the assessment area. A more complete and detailed description of all potential sources of
contamination can be found in Section 4.3. Each significant potential source of contamination has been
analyzed and prioritized (A=high priority, F=low priority) in accordance with their potential to impact
the raw water quality.
Potential Sources
Of Contamination
Transportation
Corridors
Contaminants
Of Concern
Petroleum products,
heavy metals, various
compounds in transit
Description
Petroleum
Distribution Center
and Pipeline
Former Gas Station
Petroleum products,
volatile organics
Accidents, spills, and leaks
B
Petroleum products,
volatile organics
Known contamination due to
leaking underground gasoline
storage tanks
Accidents and spills, unknown
use of best management
practices
SSO/CSOs discharge untreated
water, sewage and stormwater, into the Ohio River
during large storm events
B
Auto Repair /
Machine Shops
Sanitary and
Combined Sewer
Overflows
Petroleum products,
heavy metals, metals,
volatile organics
Bacteria, virus
pathogens, petroleum
products
Accidents and spills associated
with vehicular traffic, railroads
and barges
Protection
Priority
A
C
C
The aquifer for Moon Township Municipal Authority is sensitive to VOC contamination, since routine
water quality monitoring has had a detect of Trichloroethylene in 1997 (below the maximum
contaminant level). Though sanitary and combined sewer overflows discharge some untreated sewage
during heavy rain events, the filtration capability of the aquifer and disinfection treatment of the finished
water has satisfactorily removed and/or destroyed the pathogens associated with sewage.
Source Water Protection Needs
US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has a goal that by 2005, 50 percent of consumers, that
receive their drinking water from public water supplies, will receive their drinking water from protected
sources. For this reason and because of the various potential sources of contamination identified in this
report, it’s recommended that the development of a voluntary, local wellhead protection plan should be
considered.
On December 13, 2002, the Moon Township Municipal Authority purchased the RB&W property (site
id 6). This industrial property was engaged in the manufacture of internally threaded female fasteners
(nuts) from the 1920’s until production shut down in early 2002. The Authority’s wells 1 and 2 are
located on this property. Acquisition of this 13-acre parcel allows the Authority to: control future
development on the site to protect their water supply sources, to maintain access to their water supply
facilities, to control remediation of site for well field protection, and to provide property for the possible
future construction of a second water treatment plant.
How to Obtain Additional Information
A copy of the Source Water Assessment report will be given to the community water system, the
municipality(s) in which the drinking water sources are located, the primary municipality served, the
county planning agency, the regional DEP office, and the Allegheny County Health Department. In
addition, a summary of this report will be available at the local library. Electronic copies of the summary
of this report are available at www.dep.state.pa.us.