LACKAWANNA COUNTY, Pa. — The Department of Environmental Protection says Pennsylvania American Water violated state regulations, leading to low, smelly water at a creek in Lackawanna County.
According to the DEP, sediment flowed into the Roaring Brook Creek in Scranton and Dunmore back in February as a result of construction at a dam at Dunmore Reservoir Number 7.
The DEP also sent Pennsylvania American Water a 'Notice of Violation' dated March 7, 2024. The notice explains how the DEP received a complaint related to the sediment discharge at the site and the violations that have occurred because of it.
The Department requests that Pennsylvania American Water respond in writing to the Notice within 15 days of its receipt.
The response should indicate the cause of the unpermitted discharge, why Pennsylvania American Water did not notify the Department of the unpermitted discharge immediately, and what actions have been taken to remediate the affected watercourse and prevent the reoccurrence and/or continuance of the incident.
The department requests that Pennsylvania American Water provide a plan to remediate the damage created by the unpermitted discharge.
This Notice of Violation is neither an order nor any other final action of the Department. It neither imposes nor waives any enforcement action available to the Department under any of its statutes.
The water company says work on the dam project will continue to move forward with input from DEP.