There are 22.3 miles of water mains and 140 hydrants in the Borough of Oxford. Maintaining those water mains, treating water, and supplying the water to the homes of the residents of the borough is a huge job, and Oxford Borough Council is moving forward with a Water Department Capital Improvement Plan.

Terry Funk, P.E., Senior Project Manager from Gannett Fleming, was on hand at the March 4 council meeting to update borough council on future plans regarding the that plan.

Funk thanked council for approving them as the water engineer for the Borough. She also emphasized the appreciation to the Water Department staff and borough manager Pauline Garcia-Allen for their collaboration.

“You should be proud of the borough water staff. Their institutional knowledge has been an asset for me. I have enjoyed working with them and your Borough Manager,” she said.

Gannett Fleming has just completed a 10-year water capital improvement plan. That plan will be done in two-year increments, with a focus on grant funding. Much of the first year could involve engineering, and one of the first projects will be a treatment plant. 

“We are focused on additional supplies of water due to the continued growth of Oxford,” Funk explained.

They are working on the treatment facilities, replacing infrastructure and operations.

“We are also concerned with documents, permits, and upcoming regulations,” Funk explained.

 Water customers will see meter system upgrades, which are partially funded through a grant. Those upgrades will improve the billing process for the borough and for water users.

Future regulations from DEP and EPA are also a concern that will be reviewed going forward. Specifically, the mixing of water from Chester Water Authority, with the borough’s wells is also being studied. The mixing of water systems may affect the chemistry of the water so this is another important piece of the study. Water infrastructure improvements such as hydrants, valves, well pump replacement and water mains are also a big focus of the study. 

“Currently, the borough has six operational wells,” Garcia-Allen said.

Funk said, “The borough has done a great job in securing grants that could help us with these projects. We will work together to identify other sources of funding.”