BLACK LICK–Burrell Township’s supervisors entered uncharted water Wednesday when they unanimously voted to “proceed with whatever it takes…to pull away from LICMA (Black Lick’s Lower Indiana County Municipal Authority)” and end the 50-year-old organization’s role as the primary supplier of public water in the township. Most of the 40 some citizens who packed the supervisors’ meeting applauded the township board’s action. Many in the crowd were residents of Snyder Lane who maintain Blairsville-based Highridge Water Authority can bring them much-needed water at a cost cheaper than that proposed by LICMA. Others like Bob Kunkle–chairman of the township planning commission–have been urging the supervisors to switch Burrell’s water supplier from LICMA, which purchases and resells all of the water flowing through its lines, to Highridge, which has millions of gallons available in tanks and hilltop reservoirs in adjacent Westmoreland County. He urged the supervisors to ask, “Where is the water?” while making a decision about the township’s future supplier. It appeared Wednesday the proponents of a Highridge switch came a step closer to the outcome they’ve been advocating for several months. But, Supervisor Tony Distefano cautioned the crowd, “This is a blind leap we took here tonight.” Now that the supervisors have made clear their intent to break with LICMA, the authority the township formed five decades ago, “None of us knows what that decision means,” Distefano said. “As far as what it’s going to take to withdraw from LICMA, nobody has a clue.” One thing all agreed on is that legal fees will be incurred to resolve the issue. According to LICMA Chairman John Glass, the authority and the township each will have to consult with its respective solicitor to determine what its next move should be. “The final outcome will be determined by a lawyer and a judge,” Distefano predicted. Chairman Floyd Hill agreed the path ahead won’t be easy for the supervisors. But, “We made a decision and we’re going to carry it out as far as we can take it.” All three supervisors, including Les Henry, indicated they have heard from no residents who want to keep LICMA as a water supplier since the debate over the authority’s future has begun to dominate township meetings. Distefano noted ownership of LICMA’s lines is among issues which will have to be hammered out as the debate moves into the legal arena. He pointed out no agreements are in place with any entity to assume management of the LICMA system or with various parties at the local and state levels who may have something to say about the future of the 1,300-customer water system. That includes neighboring Center Township, which accounts for 300 LICMA customers in the Coral area and which appoints three of seven LICMA board members. In his motion regarding Burrell’s intended break with LICMA, Hill was careful not to specifically call for dissolving the authority–a course he noted could not be pursued without the cooperation of Center Township’s supervisors. Nonetheless, LICMA officials indicated they’ll be anxious to hear what response the Center supervisors may have to the position taken by their Burrell counterparts. Distefano noted he has had a cooperative relationship with the LICMA board. He said he voted to break with the authority only in response to the public outcry favoring the move. “I’ve got a responsibility to give the people what they want,” he said, adding that residents should “be careful what we want.” In light of the supervisors’ vote, Glass said he and fellow Burrell appointees “don’t know whether we’re still bona fide members of LICMA.” Hill responded, “You’re probably still a board until a judge says you aren’t.” But the supervisors as a whole declined to advise the LICMA board whether it should proceed with several improvement projects it has on the drawing board. Those projects include proposed line extensions to as many as 14 customers on Snyder Lane and eight others along Center Township’s Power Plant Road, as well as planned construction of a new half million gallon water storage tank in the area of Dean Drive in Burrell Township. “We as a board are going to have to decide what to do” regarding those pending projects, Distefano said. He said he personally believes the tank and the two line extensions are necessary. Thomas Bankson, LICMA’s engineering consultant, cited pressure and flow data indicating the tank is needed to provide adequate fire protection for the Blairsville school complex and nearby commercial and industrial developments–regardless of what entity ultimately operates the local water system. Kunkle, who also chairs another local water supplier, the Indiana County Municipal Services Authority, argues instead that the tank would be a nice future improvement, but is not needed now if the township switches to Highridge as its supplier. He pointed to the greater capacity of Highridge’s water tanks. Bankson countered that the proximity of a water tank to the facilities being served is more important than capacity. Bankson noted LICMA will face a critical decision regarding the tank project at its meeting next Tuesday. He said the authority will have to award contracts for construction of the Dean Drive tank and associated improvements if it intends to proceed with the planned Dec. 4 closing of a state PennVest loan earmarked for the project. Current plans for the Snyder Lane and Power Plant Road lines would require action on construction contracts in November, Bankson added. He noted the supervisors can block the tank project by simply withholding a needed building permit. He said bank loans needed for the line extensions likely would be difficult to obtain without backing from the supervisors. The Burrell Township office will be closed Oct. 14, in observance of Columbus Day. Township budget preparation meetings are set for 4 to 6:30 p.m. Monday through Friday of next week. Black Lick Fire Department’s annual Halloween parade is set for 1 p.m. Oct. 27 at the fire hall. Registration begins at noon. Treats will be distributed to participants following the parade.

---

Copyright ©2026— Trib Total Media, LLC (TribLIVE.com)

---