Centuries-old water trough in Delmont will be revived with solar power

The spring that originally fed the Delmont water trough may not be in use, but the trough will hold water again thanks to the Delmont Lions Club and the Community Foundation of Murrysville, Export and Delmont.

With a $300 grant from the foundation and $175 in contributions from its coffers, the club will marry history and technology and install solar panels to pump water continuously through the trough, which dates to the early 1800s.

Club member Patty Pietropaoli, who recently finished a term as its president, pursued the grant as part of a legacy project. Lions International was established in 1917, and it's encouraging clubs to undertake legacy projects as it celebrates its centennial.

“There was a natural spring up the hill on East Pittsburgh Street that originally fed the trough, and it was a stop on the toll road that ran through Delmont,” she said.

The borough's first postmaster and business owner, Hugh Bigham, laid the original water pipes that fed the trough, which has been moved and replaced multiple times over the years. In 1910, the year of its 100th anniversary, the wooden trough was replaced with a concrete version, which has also seen multiple iterations.

The trough was still in use as late as the 1960s, but by the 1970s, the water feeding it did not meet state water standards, and it was disconnected.

Pietropaoli recruited former Lions Club member Dave Weber of Delmont to help with the project due to his experience with solar power: Weber has solar panels installed on his home, and as a member of the Delmont Library board suggested the installation of a solar array atop the new Delmont Library building.

“A solar panel will power an 8-watt pump to keep the water running,” Weber said. “We'll put a bitumen rubber lining inside and it will be filled with water. Then in the winter, we'll take the pump out along with the battery to preserve them.”

Lions Club member and former Delmont Mayor Jim Davis said the club will also install wire mesh atop the trough to prevent it from accumulating trash or being vandalized.

Lions Club member Dave Paluselli said he is happy to help preserve the trough.

“I think we have a responsibility to maintain some of the things that gave Delmont its name,” he said.

Patrick Varine is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at 724-850-2862 or pvarine@tribweb.com.