Capital Region Water is installing new signs at each of 58 combined sewer outfall locations along Paxton Creek and the Susquehanna River.

Nearly 60 percent of the Harrisburg community utilizes a combined sewer system (CSS). When it rains, combined sewer systems can get overwhelmed and overflow a combination of household sewage and stormwater runoff into surrounding waterways. These permitted combined sewer overflow (CSO) events are a symptom of CRW’s aged infrastructure, not an operational choice, and there is no easy solution or cheap fix to the problem. Capital Region Water is working with stakeholders to develop plans to reduce and eliminate combined sewer overflows, however, an endeavor this grand cannot happen overnight. When wet weather events happen, residents and visitors to the Susquehanna River and Paxton Creek need to be notified and warned to avoid contact with waterways for at least 24 hours.

Capital Region Water is committed to the education and public notification of CSO events. Maintenance and improvement of CSO signage is a key component of CRW’s larger public notification strategy. This week, crews will be updating and standardizing all signage along the Susquehanna River and Paxton Creek. These permanent installations will provide warning details, identification (or asset IDs), and contact information for residents to report a problem. All signs, both existing and new, are being updated and installed in fulfillment of our City Beautiful H₂O Program to comply with Capital Region Water’s wet weather compliance obligations.

“It is important for the public to understand exactly what CSOs are, when safety measures should be taken, and how additional educational materials can be accessed,” said Charlotte Katzenmoyer, CEO of CRW.

Capital Region Water’s City Beautiful H₂O program was created to actively engage the Harrisburg community while making plans to reduce combined sewer overflows and stormwater pollution in our waterways. CBH₂O webpages provide a full program plan, as well as additional material on improvements individuals and businesses can do on their own.

“We all need to pitch in and do our part to prevent unnecessary flooding in our homes and streets,” said Harrisburg Mayor Wanda Williams. “Installing green walls and rain gardens are creative ways homeowners can beautify their properties, and personal parks are also ways we can maintain a green infrastructure.”

Capital Region Water also suggests improving downspout connections and roofing and using pervious pavement to protect the city’s sewer system from raindrop to river. The City of Harrisburg already uses pervious pavement on any new construction projects.

Capital Region Water’s Customer Service Center is open Monday through Friday, 8:30am – 4:00pm. Customers with questions can contact Capital Region Water at 888-510-0606 or via email at info@capitalregionwater.com.

EL PROBLEMA DE AGUA POTABLE ESTA CORREGIDO

Customers of Capital Region Water were notified on Wednesday, June 1, 2022 of a problem with our drinking water and were advised to “BOIL YOUR WATER BEFORE USING”. We are pleased to report that the problem has been corrected and that it is no longer necessary to “BOIL YOUR WATER BEFORE USING”. We apologize for any inconvenience and thank you for your patience.

As always, you may contact Capital Region Water at 888-510-0606 or writing to 100 Pine Drive, Harrisburg, PA 17103 with any comments or questions. You can also visit capitalregionwater.com to learn more.

Please share this information with all the other people who drink this water, especially those who may not have received this notice directly (for example, people in apartments, nursing homes, schools, and businesses). You can do this by posting this notice in a public place or distributing copies by hand or mail.

This notice is being sent to you by Capital Region Water. PWS ID 7220049 Date distributed: 06/08/2022

BOIL YOUR WATER BEFORE USING

Hiervan el agua antes de usarla.

Este informe contiene información importante acerca de su agua potable.  Haga que alguien lo traduzca para usted, o hable con alguien que lo entienda.

We routinely monitor the conditions in the distribution system. On Wednesday, June 1, 2022, we experienced a loss of positive water pressure due to a water main break at 201 Championship Way, and 600 & 700 Riverside Drive (on City Island) in Harrisburg. A loss of positive water pressure is a signal of conditions that could allow contamination to enter the distribution system through back-flow by back pressure or back-siphonage.  As a result, there is an increased chance that the water may contain bacteria that can make you sick.

What should I do?

DO NOT DRINK THE WATER WITHOUT BOILING IT FIRST. Bring all water to a rolling boil, let it boil for one minute, and let it cool before using; or use bottled water.  You should use boiled or bottled water for drinking, making ice, washing dishes, brushing teeth, and food preparation until further notice.

Inadequately treated water may contain disease-causing organisms. These organisms include bacteria, viruses, and parasites, which can cause symptoms such as nausea, cramps, diarrhea, and associated headaches.

These symptoms, however, are not caused only by organisms in drinking water, but also by other factors. If you experience any of these symptoms and they persist, you may want to seek medical advice.

People with severely compromised immune systems, infants, and some elderly may be at increased risk. These people should seek advice about drinking water from their health care providers. General guidelines on ways to lessen the risk of infection by microbes are available from EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1 (800) 426‑4791.

What happened and what is being done?

Valves were exercised to make a water main repair and a low/no pressure situation was created. Efforts were made to isolate the leak and restore normal system level and pressure as quickly as possible.

We will inform you when all corrective actions have been completed and when you no longer need to boil your water.

For more information, please contact:

Dr. Robert E. Young Water Services Center, 888-510-0606

100 Pine Dr, Harrisburg, PA 17103

Please share this information with all the other people who drink this water, especially those who may not have received this notice directly (for example, people in apartments, nursing homes, schools, and businesses). You can do this by posting this notice in a public place or distributing copies by hand or mail.

This notice is being sent to you by: Capital Region Water, PWS ID#: 7220049      Date distributed: 06/01/2022

EL PROBLEMA DE AGUA POTABLE ESTA CORREGIDO

Customers of Capital Region Water were notified on Tuesday, May 24^th 2022 of a problem with our drinking water and were advised to “BOIL YOUR WATER BEFORE USING”. We are pleased to report that the problem has been corrected and that it is no longer necessary to “BOIL YOUR WATER BEFORE USING”. We apologize for any inconvenience and thank you for your patience.

As always, you may contact Capital Region Water at 888-510-0606 or writing to 100 Pine Drive, Harrisburg, PA 17103 with any comments or questions. You can also visit capitalregionwater.com to learn more.

Please share this information with all the other people who drink this water, especially those who may not have received this notice directly (for example, people in apartments, nursing homes, schools, and businesses). You can do this by posting this notice in a public place or distributing copies by hand or mail.

This notice is being sent to you by Capital Region Water. PWS ID 7220049 Date distributed: 5/26/2022

BOIL YOUR WATER BEFORE USING

Hiervan el agua antes de usarla.

Este informe contiene información importante acerca de su agua potable.  Haga que alguien lo traduzca para usted, o hable con alguien que lo entienda.

We routinely monitor the conditions in the distribution system. On Tuesday, May 24, 2022 we experienced a loss of positive water pressure due to a water main shut off at 1247, 1245, 1243 & 1222 Mulberry St, 201 & 215 Hummel St. and 215 Evergreen St. in Harrisburg. A loss of positive water pressure is a signal of conditions that could allow contamination to enter the distribution system through back-flow by back pressure or back-siphonage.  As a result, there is an increased chance that the water may contain bacteria that can make you sick.

What should I do?

DO NOT DRINK THE WATER WITHOUT BOILING IT FIRST. Bring all water to a rolling boil, let it boil for one minute, and let it cool before using; or use bottled water.  You should use boiled or bottled water for drinking, making ice, washing dishes, brushing teeth, and food preparation until further notice.

Inadequately treated water may contain disease-causing organisms. These organisms include bacteria, viruses, and parasites, which can cause symptoms such as nausea, cramps, diarrhea, and associated headaches.

These symptoms, however, are not caused only by organisms in drinking water, but also by other factors. If you experience any of these symptoms and they persist, you may want to seek medical advice.

People with severely compromised immune systems, infants, and some elderly may be at increased risk. These people should seek advice about drinking water from their health care providers. General guidelines on ways to lessen the risk of infection by microbes are available from EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1 (800) 426‑4791.

What happened and what is being done?

Valves were exercised to make a water main repair and a low/no pressure situation was created.

We will inform you when all corrective actions have been completed and when you no longer need to boil your water.

For more information, please contact:

Dr. Robert E. Young Water Services Center, 888-510-0606

100 Pine Dr, Harrisburg, PA 17103

Please share this information with all the other people who drink this water, especially those who may not have received this notice directly (for example, people in apartments, nursing homes, schools, and businesses). You can do this by posting this notice in a public place or distributing copies by hand or mail.

This notice is being sent to you by: Capital Region Water, PWS ID#: 7220049      Date distributed: 5/24/2022

Camp Curtin YMCA and Capital Region Water broke ground on a stormwater management project for the Camp Curtin Campus and surrounding Cornerstone Neighborhood.

The Big Green Block – located at the Camp Curtin YMCA, the Cornerstone Neighborhood, and several surrounding side streets – is being built in partnership by Capital Region Water and Camp Curtin YMCA. The green infrastructure elements are necessary for the overall goal of improving the health of local waterways, reducing combined sewer overflows, and beautifying the Camp Curtin YMCA and surrounding neighborhood.

“The Big Green Block is a tangible example of two Harrisburg-based organizations working together to build the social and environmental capacity of our city,” said Charlotte Katzenmoyer, CEO of CRW. “We care deeply about how our work effects the community, so we sought public input on design.” One of the most eye-catching features will include a Big Green Wall. This green stormwater wall consists of parallel troughs mounted to the side of the YMCA building that provide both surface and soil storage for runoff coming from the roof. The overflow and under drain from each trough flow a stormwater planter box that will be lined and have both an overflow and under drain to safely convey stormwater away from the building.

Additionally, a rain garden and storage/infiltration trench along the edge of the YMCA parking lot and beneath the playing field along Jefferson Street will manage runoff from the parking lot, as well as runoff from Woodbine, Jefferson, Forrest, and 6th streets. The rain garden will overflow to a subsurface storage/infiltration trench beneath the field that will provide additional storage for parking lot runoff as well as runoff from adjacent streets. New inlets installed upslope of existing sewer-connected inlets connect directly to the trench and divert right-of-way runoff.

Construction of the project is expected to be complete by late summer/early fall 2022.

EL PROBLEMA DE AGUA POTABLE ESTA CORREGIDO

Customers of Capital Region Water were notified on Wednesday, April 20^th 2022 of a problem with our drinking water and were advised to “BOIL YOUR WATER BEFORE USING”. We are pleased to report that the problem has been corrected and that it is no longer necessary to “BOIL YOUR WATER BEFORE USING”. We apologize for any inconvenience and thank you for your patience.

As always, you may contact Capital Region Water at 888-510-0606 or writing to 100 Pine Drive, Harrisburg, PA 17103 with any comments or questions. You can also visit capitalregionwater.com to learn more.

Please share this information with all the other people who drink this water, especially those who may not have received this notice directly (for example, people in apartments, nursing homes, schools, and businesses). You can do this by posting this notice in a public place or distributing copies by hand or mail.

This notice is being sent to you by Capital Region Water. PWS ID 7220049 Date distributed: 4/22/2022

BOIL YOUR WATER BEFORE USING

Hiervan el agua antes de usarla.

Este informe contiene información importante acerca de su agua potable.  Haga que alguien lo traduzca para usted, o hable con alguien que lo entienda.

We routinely monitor the conditions in the distribution system. On Wednesday, April 20th, we experienced a loss of positive water pressure due to a water main break at 109-159 Royal Terrace, 1124-1138 Jonestown Rd, 132 & 135 Summit St, and 19-21 N. Cameron St. in Harrisburg. A loss of positive water pressure is a signal of conditions that could allow contamination to enter the distribution system through back-flow by back pressure or back-siphonage.  As a result, there is an increased chance that the water may contain bacteria that can make you sick.

What should I do?

DO NOT DRINK THE WATER WITHOUT BOILING IT FIRST. Bring all water to a rolling boil, let it boil for one minute, and let it cool before using; or use bottled water.  You should use boiled or bottled water for drinking, making ice, washing dishes, brushing teeth, and food preparation until further notice.

Inadequately treated water may contain disease-causing organisms. These organisms include bacteria, viruses, and parasites, which can cause symptoms such as nausea, cramps, diarrhea, and associated headaches.

These symptoms, however, are not caused only by organisms in drinking water, but also by other factors. If you experience any of these symptoms and they persist, you may want to seek medical advice.

People with severely compromised immune systems, infants, and some elderly may be at increased risk. These people should seek advice about drinking water from their health care providers. General guidelines on ways to lessen the risk of infection by microbes are available from EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1 (800) 426‑4791.

What happened and what is being done?

A water main break created a low/no pressure situation at this location. Efforts are underway to isolate the leak and restore normal system level and pressure as quickly as possible.

We will inform you when all corrective actions have been completed and when you no longer need to boil your water.

Please share this information with all the other people who drink this water, especially those who may not have received this notice directly (for example, people in apartments, nursing homes, schools, and businesses). You can do this by posting this notice in a public place or distributing copies by hand or mail.

This notice is being sent to you by: Capital Region Water, PWS ID#: 7220049      Date distributed: 4/20/2022

Capital Region Water is seeking a Categorical Exclusion (CE) from environmental review through the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection for its Phase 4 PENNVEST SW Pro-FI Project.

We are accepting written comments from the public for 30 days following the publication of this Public Notice. Written comments can be mailed to:

Capital Region Water, 3003 North Front Street, Harrisburg, PA 17110.

The work is geographically located at Midtown (4th Street between Harris and Reily Streets and Harris Street between Fulton and Logan Streets), Boys & Girls Club (1227 Berryhill Street), Peffer (4th and Peffer Streets), and Swatara (430-418 S 15th Street). This Project focuses on four green stormwater infrastructure sites within the City of Harrisburg. The work on these projects includes right-of-way green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) and community gathering spaces with adjacent rain gardens and swales on vacant lots and a community center site. Elements within these projects include, but are not limited to, installation of subsurface detention, porous pavement and porous asphalt, tree pits, sidewalk planters, stormwater bumpouts, drainage system improvements including inlets and connected laterals, site furnishings and planting, and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant curb ramps. This project qualifies for a CE because due diligence agency reviews relating to endangered species, archaeological/historical sites, and fish & wildlife resources did not indicate any adverse impact from this project. This project’s cost and subsequent operational cost savings were integrated into 2022 user fees as part of the rate setting process. Supporting documents are available for review by submitting a request to:

Capital Region Water, c/o 4 PENNVEST SW Pro-FI Project, 3003 North Front Street, Harrisburg, PA 17110.

Capital Region Water can be contacted by phone at 888‑510‑0606 or by email at info@capitalregionwater.com ATTN “4 PENNVEST SW Pro-FI Project”.

Capital Region Water’s Chapter 94 Annual Wasteload Management Report for 2021 and Semi-Annual Report on Consent Decree Implementation is now available to access online. Section 4 of the report provides an assessment of the City Beautiful H₂O Program and Capital Region Water’s wet weather compliance with Partial Consent Decree requirements.

Submission of the report is a regulatory requirement for Capital Region Water. It provides a performance summary of the Advanced Wastewater Treatment Facility (AWTF) that treats the wastewater of 130,000 residents in and nearby Harrisburg. The report also summarizes the condition of the systems which collect and convey stormwater and wastewater for treatment and serves to report on the progress Capital Region Water is making to reduce combined sewer overflow (CSO) events, which are a result of our outdated, aging infrastructure.

“In 2021, we met all requirements of the AWTF permit which allows CRW to discharge treated wastewater to the Susquehanna River,” said Capital Region Water CEO Charlotte Katzenmoyer. “Additionally, we fulfilled the requirements of the Partial Consent Decree under this reporting period from July 1 to December 31, 2021. This includes progress in developing and implementing maintenance and improvements programs and projects. But managing stormwater remains Capital Region Water’s biggest challenge.”

In 2015, Capital Region Water entered into a Partial Consent Decree with the Department of Justice (DOJ), United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) for the management of the combined, sanitary, and storm sewer systems, as well as the pumping stations and AWTF.

During dry weather or light rainfall events, both stormwater and wastewater go to the AWTF for treatment before clean water is released into the Susquehanna River. During moderate to heavy rainfall events, or due to pipe obstruction caused by debris or commercial fats, the combined system reaches capacity and a mixture of sewage and stormwater overflows into the Susquehanna River and/or Paxton Creek. These permitted combined sewer overflow (CSO) events are a symptom of CRW’s aged infrastructure, not an operational choice, and there is no easy solution or cheap fix to the problem. Harrisburg is one of nearly 860 communities nationwide managing a combined sewer system, including over 100 communities in Pennsylvania.

Capital Region Water captured and treated 87 percent of all combined sewage and stormwater in 2021 (by comparison, CRW captured and treated 92 percent in 2020), and on average treats 90 percent annually. The 13 percent that went untreated last year was primarily the result of heavy rains that overwhelmed Harrisburg’s aging and undersized infrastructure. Five of the largest 91 storm events that occurred in 2021 account for nearly 50 percent of the total CSO overflow volume for the year, including one such storm related to Hurricane Ida which exceeded the rainfall intensity associated with a 500-year storm event.

Other notable highlights of the 2021 Report include over 200 inspections under the Fats, Oils, and Grease Program, operation and maintenance enhancements to the street sweeping program, and completion of various capital improvements projects. Nine new rain gardens, four storage/infiltration trenches, and eight trees trenches for stormwater management have been added in Harrisburg. Upgrade to a major sewage pumping station, which replaced failing mechanical equipment and increased pumping capacity by 50 percent to increase CSO capture, was also completed.

Capital Region Water continues to meet with regulatory oversight agencies to discuss a modification to the Partial Consent Decree, including a 10-year project list which when completed will ensure compliance with the USEPA capture threshold for all wet weather discharge. Additional capital projects planned for 2022 include rehabilitation to the sewage conveyance systems, specifically the Front Street Interceptor, which was originally constructed in 1911, and two new green stormwater infrastructure systems in the Camp Curtin and Bellevue Park neighborhoods.

Since its inception in 2013, Capital Region Water has invested more than $170 million to improve our water and wastewater infrastructure, address a backlog of deferred maintenance projects that stretches back decades, and collaborate with ratepayers and stakeholders to meet our most pressing local needs while fulfilling state and federal clean water requirements.

City Beautiful H₂O is Capital Region Water’s integrated planning program to address system-wide infrastructure deterioration and restore and beautify our neighborhoods through community greening. We are investing millions of dollars to repair aging infrastructure, reduce combined sewer overflows, control backups onto streets and into basements to improve the quality of local waterways, and protect public health and safety. An additional $200 million in investment in our wastewater and stormwater systems is expected over the next two decades.

To learn more, please visit https://capitalregionwater.com/what-we-do/cbh2o/. Customers with specific questions can contact Capital Region Water’s at 888-510-0606 or via email at info@capitalregionwater.com.