Water treatment project underway in Warminster
In 1914, there was a plan to bring the Philadelphia Motor Speedway to Warminster. Although construction began, WWI and the depressed economy with the lack of materials to build a large timber track brought it to an end. But, the “Speedway” kept its name. It’s the 400-acre tract surrounded by Street Road, York Road, County Line Road, and Park Avenue.
The Speedway has over 1,000 houses and 19 neighborhood roads that require water, sewer, and stormwater maintenance, as well as numerous business, places of worship, Warminster Fire Department and Central Bucks Emergency Medical Services. The Warminster Municipal Authority (WMA) owns and operates these services for township residents. WMA has several divisions with 52 employees, most of which you see working throughout the township. If you’ve never thought about how the wastewater gets “up the hill” from your house to the Treatment Plant, then consider the many Sewer Pump Stations located throughout the township. Tim Hagey, General Manager, stated there are backup generators installed at all locations to “prevent any backup if we lose electricity in a big storm.”
Currently, one of the largest stormwater projects being worked on is the Tennyson Basin. WMA acquired the Tennyson basin from the Township in April, 2021 and has worked to reduce the amount of stormwater flooding. It took over 3,000 truckloads of soil removal and the building of several sediment forebays to help manage stormwater flow.
WMA also completed a box culvert on Acorn Drive for approximately $300,000, which will now help to direct the flow of stormwater into the Neshaminy Creek instead of neighbor backyards.
Construction
“We make it a priority to replace two miles of water mains annually,” Hagey said, replacing old cast iron mains with more durable and flexible ductile iron. For example, our construction team just completed laying four miles of pipe, a project that took 8 months to complete. “It was a test of our newly-formed construction department and they did a great job,” said Hagey. Completing the work in-house is a more cost-effective way to get the work done.
Additionally, work is being performed on the stormwater system in front of the Post Office on Lemon Street, prior to Public Works completing its 2026 Paving Program of this road. “We work in tandem with the Township Public Works on many projects,” said Hagey. For example, if WMA has performed work on a roadway, and Public Works is scheduled to come through and pave the entire road, WMA pays for half the cost of repaving the street. “This works out for both WMA and the township when it comes to saving money,” said Hagey.
When asked about funding, George said the funding comes from both grants and stormwater fees. These grant funds help WMA save money over time.
Wastewater
WMA’s largest facility is the Water Treatment Facility located on Log College Drive. This facility is rated to process 8.18 gpd of water daily with minimal impact to its neighbors. The wastewater is treated using live bacteria which breaks down organic matter, cycles nutrients, and neutralizes contaminants. Once cleaned, called effluent, it is discharged into the Neshaminy Creek. In fact, a portion of the effluent from the Treatment Plant is pumped directly to the township’s Five Ponds Golf Club ponds for irrigation. “We are grateful to WMA for providing this water as it saves the golf course a significant amount over the course of the year,” said Mike Attara, Director of Golf at Five Ponds.
Hagey would like to thank the neighbors for their cooperation and patience while our crews are working in their area. “It is very helpful if we can all work together to get the project completed as quickly and efficiently as possible,” said Hagey.
