Using Water Efficiently

Using Water Efficiently

Fresh clean drinking water is yours to use whenever you need it. The Greenville Water Authority serves the Greenville Borough and surrounding Townships with an abundant supply of water and the GMWA has sufficient pumping, storage and distribution capacity to meet the water needs for all of the GMWA customers. GMWA customers may use all the water they want, however we encourage you to use it wisely. Here are a few tips you can do to prevent water waste.

1. Check faucets and pipes for leaks.Even the smallest drip from a faucet can waste 20 or more gallons a day. Larger leaks can waste hundreds.
   

2. Check your toilets for leaks.Put a little food coloring in your toilet tank. If, without flushing, the color begins to appear in the bowl, you have a leak.
   

3. Turn off the water after you wet your toothbrush.There is no need to keep water pouring down the drain. Just wet your brush and fill a glass for mouth rinsing.
   

4. Use your automatic dishwasher and your automatic washing machine only for full loads.
   

5. Water your lawn only when it needs it.A good way to see if your lawn needs watering is to step on the grass. If it springs back up when you move, it doesn’t need water. If it stays flat, turn on the sprinkler.

Information about Lead

If present, elevated levels of lead can cause serious health problems, especially for pregnant women and young children.  Lead in drinking water is primarily from materials and components associated with service lines and home plumbing.  Greenville Water Authority takes steps to reduce the potential for lead to leach from your pipes into the water. This is accomplished by adding a corrosion inhibitor to the water leaving our treatment facility. However, we cannot control the variety of materials used in plumbing components.  When your water has been sitting for several hours, you can minimize the potential for lead exposure by flushing your tap for 30 seconds to 2 minutes before using water for drinking or cooking.  If you are concerned about lead in your water, you may wish to have your water tested.  

The PA DEP requires GWA to test for lead and copper every three years. GWA tested twenty-one homes in 2019. Lead was not detected in any of the samples. For more details on these results, see our annual water quality report found here.

Proper Disposal of Pharmaceuticals

Proper Disposal of Pharmaceuticals

This program is funded by the PA Department of Environmental Protection’s Source Water Protection Program

A few small steps can make a huge impact in safeguarding the environment.

• Take unused, unneeded, or expired prescription drugs out of their original containers and throw them in the trash.

• Mixing prescription drugs with an undesirable substance, such as sawdust or used coffee grounds or kitty litter, and putting them in impermeable, non-descript containers, such as empty cans or sealable bags, will further ensure the drugs are not diverted.

• Flush prescription drugs down the toilet only if the label or accompanying patient information specifically instructs doing so.

• If available, take advantage of community pharmaceutical take-back programs that allow the public to bring unused drugs to a central location for proper disposal. Greenville West-Salem Police Department has a drop-off location at 125 Main Street in Greenville.

For more information on the proper disposal of pharmaceuticals:

What is Source Water Protection?

The goal of source water protection is preventing contaminants from entering waterways that serve as our drinking water sources. Protecting our source water from pollutants not only protects our drinking water supplies, but it also makes economic sense, as it can be extremely costly to remove pollutants from drinking water sources through complex treatments. Protecting our source water also helps protect the natural environment by providing a healthy habitat for countless species.

The source water for Greenville Water Authority customers is from the Shenango River. To further strengthen our source water protection efforts, GWA has volunteered to participate in the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection’s Source Water Protection Program.

Through the Source Water Protection Program, a source water protection plan was developed for the GWA water system. The plan guides GWA’s source water protection efforts in the future. Greenville Water Authority is happy to assist customers in learning more about source water protection efforts. Call us for more information.

More Ways to Help

Greenville Water Authority is working nonstop to provide our customers with a clean and reliable source of drinking water, and we could use your help!

Steps to help us protect our water supplies

• Dispose of motor oil at a garage that will recycle it. Never pour oil on the ground or in a storm drain or sewer on the street.

• Bring household hazardous waste – such as paint, varnishes, and other chemicals to recycling facilities.  Check the Mercer County website for details.

• Minimize the use of pesticides and herbicides on your lawn and garden.

• Do not dump swimming pool water into a creek or storm drain at the end of the season. If possible, direct the water into the sanitary sewer. Otherwise, wait until the chlorine diminishes and then direct water into grass, forest, or other natural area.

• Remember: Anything you throw or store on the ground can find its way into waterways.  Anything you flush down the toilet or rinse down a sink will end up in a waterway.  Store, handle and dispose of all chemicals properly.

• Call the Department of Environmental Protection at 814-332-6945 immediately if you observe a chemical spill.

A Message from Greenville Water Authority

We work around the clock to provide top quality water to every tap. It is a task that we are proud of and take very seriously. We work hard to protect our water resources, which are the heart of our community, our way of life and our children’s future.

To maintain a clean, dependable water supply, we need your help. This brochure was developed to make our community aware of the importance of proper disposable of prescription medications.

Please read web page carefully. If you have any additional questions, please refer to the federal guidelines, cited in this brochure or contact Greenville Water Authority at 724 588-4340.

Source Water Protection Homeowners Guide

Source Water Protection Homeowners Guide

This program is funded by the PA Department of Environmental Protection’s Source Water Protection Program

Examples of Source Water Contamination

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Greenville Water Authority obtains your drinking water from the Shenango River. Source water protection can help prevent your drinking water from becoming polluted by managing possible sources of contamination in the watershed.   Everyone has an important part to play in protecting drinking water – today and for the future. Source water protection is a community effort – we hope you will read this and other information forwarded to you, and help protect our water supply.

Why do water sources sometimes become polluted? A water supply can become polluted when substances that are harmful to human health enter the groundwater, rivers, reservoir, or springs. Common pollutants include gasoline or oil from leaking tanks, nitrate and pesticides from agriculture and lawns, pathogens from livestock and pet waste, salt from winter road maintenance, and chemicals from industrial facilities. Once drinking water is contaminated, it must be treated or abandoned as a drinking water source. The expense of treating polluted water or finding a new source of drinking water can be avoided through source water protection.

For more information:

What is Watershed?

A watershed is all the land that drains to the same river or lake. Water travels from the highest points at the watershed edge to the lowest point at the bottom of the watershed. Wherever you are, you are in a watershed!

When it rains, some water travels over the land surface to the nearest stream or creek. This water is called surface runoff or stormwater. As the stormwater flows, it picks up any contaminants lying on the surface – pesticides and fertilizer from lawns, manure from farms, sediment from construction sites, and oil and gas from roads. Small streams join to form larger and larger rivers, until the water – and any contaminants it is carrying – reaches the final lake or river.

Some precipitation, instead of traveling over the land, will percolate into the soil and reach the groundwater. Similarly, the groundwater may pick up nitrates from failing septic systems, gasoline from leaky storage tanks, and industrial chemicals from improper dumping. The groundwater ultimately flows into one of the rivers or lakes in the watershed.

More Ways to Help

Greenville Water Authority is working nonstop to provide our customers with a clean and reliable source of drinking water, and we could use your help!

Steps to help us protect our water supplies

• Dispose of motor oil at a garage that will recycle it. Never pour oil on the ground or in a storm drain or sewer on the street.

• Pump out your septic system every two or three years. Look under “Septic Tanks” in the Yellow Pages to find a contractor.

• Bring household hazardous waste – such as paint, varnishes, and other chemicals – to a county waste collection site. Call ahead or check the county website for dates.

• Minimize the use of pesticides and herbicides on your lawn and garden.

• If you drill a new well, make sure the old one is properly closed and abandoned.

• Do not dump swimming pool water into a creek or storm drain at the end of the season. If possible, direct the water into the sanitary sewer. Otherwise, wait until the chlorine diminishes and then direct pool water onto grass, forest, or other natural area.

• Remember: anything you throw or store on the ground can find its way into the water supply. Store and handle chemicals properly.

• Call the regional Department of Environmental Protection office at (814) 332-6945  immediately if you observe a chemical spill.

A Message from Greenville Water Authority

Everyone uses local water sources every day, but do you know where your water really comes from?

The staff at GWA work around the clock to provide top quality water to every tap. They work hard to protect your water resources, which are the heart of your community, your way of life and your children’s future. To maintain a clean, dependable water supply, they need your help!

This web page was developed to make your community aware of the importance of protecting your water supply. Once a water source becomes contaminated, the cleanup often takes many years and can be very expensive. It is in our community’s best interest to take the proper precautions to prevent contaminants from entering our water supply.

Who is responsible for protecting your drinking water? EVERYONE!

If you have any questions about source water protection in your area, please contact the GWA office at (724) 588-4340 for more information.

Agriculture and Your Drinking Water

Agriculture and Your Drinking Water

This program is funded by the PA Department of Environmental Protection’s Source Water Protection Program

Examples of Agriculture Practices That Reduce Pollution

No-Till Planting & Contour Strips

No-Till Planting and Contour Strips reduce loss of sediment through stormwater runoff.

Conservation & Nutrient Plans

Conservation and Nutrient Plans help farmers with sustainable operations while complying with Pennsylvania Chapter 102 and Act 38 regulations.

Buffer Plantings

Buffer Plantings along streams and creeks help filter pollutants in stormwater runoff from getting into the water.

Streambank Fencing

Streambank Fencing prevents animals from depositing manure into streams. The fence also avoids destruction of the streambanks that add sediment to the water.

Grazing Management

Grazing Management helps maintain plant life on pasture lands, reducing soil loss during rain events or snow melts.

Creek Crossings

Creek Crossings minimize animal access to streams, and reduces manure and sediment contamination.

How Does Drinking Water Become Polluted?

Your drinking water may become polluted when substances that are harmful to human health enter the groundwater or surface source, like a lake or reservoir. Sometimes pollutants like manure and sediment from stormwater runoff find their way into streams and creeks. Once water is contaminated, it must be treated or abandoned as a drinking water source. The expense of treating polluted water or finding a new source of drinking water can be avoided through source water protection.

For more information:

What is Watershed?

A watershed is all the land that drains to the same river or lake. Water travels from the highest points at the watershed edge to the lowest point at the bottom of the watershed. Wherever you are, you are in a watershed!

When it rains, some water travels over the land surface to the nearest stream or creek. This water is called surface runoff or stormwater. As the stormwater flows, it picks up any contaminants lying on the surface – pesticides and fertilizer from lawns, manure from farms, sediment from construction sites, and oil and gas from roads. Small streams join to form larger and larger rivers, until the water – and any contaminants it is carrying – reaches the final lake or river.

Some precipitation, instead of traveling over the land, will percolate into the soil and reach the groundwater. Similarly, the groundwater may pick up nitrates from failing septic systems, gasoline from leaky storage tanks, and industrial chemicals from improper dumping. The groundwater ultimately flows into one of the rivers or lakes in the watershed.

Protecting Our Drinking Water

Much of the Pennsylvania countryside is in agricultural operations, and plays a huge role in our commonwealth’s production of food.  Conversely, agriculture also has a huge impact on the drinking water sources throughout the state.  Farmers have a unique challenge in balancing efficient operations with environmental stewardship.  This brochure is designed to provide information on various Best Management Practices (BMPs) that can help reduce nutrients found in manure and sediment from row crops.

All agricultural producers are encouraged to seek assistance from their County Conservation District and the Natural Resources Conservation Service for the installation and implementation of these practices.

More Ways to Help

Greenville Water Authority is working nonstop to provide our customers with a clean and reliable source of drinking water, and we could use your help!

Steps to help us protect our water supplies

• Dispose of motor oil at a garage that will recycle it. Never pour oil on the ground or in a storm drain or sewer on the street.

• Pump out your septic system every two or three years. Look under “Septic Tanks” in the Yellow Pages to find a contractor.

• Bring household hazardous waste – such as paint, varnishes, and other chemicals – to a county waste collection site. Call ahead or check the county website for dates.

• Minimize the use of pesticides and herbicides on your lawn and garden.

• If you drill a new well, make sure the old one is properly closed and abandoned.

• Do not dump swimming pool water into a creek or storm drain at the end of the season. If possible, direct the water into the sanitary sewer. Otherwise, wait until the chlorine diminishes and then direct pool water onto grass, forest, or other natural area.

• Remember: anything you throw or store on the ground can find its way into the water supply. Store and handle chemicals properly.

• Call the regional Department of Environmental Protection office at (814) 332-6945  immediately if you observe a chemical spill.

A Message from Greenville Water Authority

Everyone uses local water sources every day, but do you know where your water really comes from?

The staff at GWA work around the clock to provide top quality water to every tap. They work hard to protect your water resources, which are the heart of your community, your way of life and your children’s future. To maintain a clean, dependable water supply, they need your help!

This web page was developed to make your community aware of the importance of protecting your water supply. Once a water source becomes contaminated, the cleanup often takes many years and can be very expensive. It is in our community’s best interest to take the proper precautions to prevent contaminants from entering our water supply.

Who is responsible for protecting your drinking water? EVERYONE!

If you have any questions about source water protection in your area, please contact the GWA office at (724) 588-4340 for more information.