Lower Providence Gem Under Siege by Sewer Pipeline

Images are of work done for a much smaller pipe...



Anyone who has visited Hoy Park in Lower Providence realizes what a beautiful resource we have here in Montgomery County. The tree-lined Perkiomen Creek (one of Pennsylvania's largest creeks) lazily wanders by and is joined by the Skippack Creek at this park. It's a great place to launch a kayak or take the family fishing. Unfortunately, this area is under siege. The Lower Perkiomen Valley Regional Sewer Authority (LPVSA) has planned to install a massive sewer line in this area. This pipe is so large it requires a ditch 40 ft wide and a 70 ft wide path for the machinery to install it. Not only will all the trees be removed from this wildlife filled floodplain, but the plan is to cross the creek 4X within a mile and a half span! Alternative plans which keep the pipeline on the Upper Providence side of the creek were previously in the works but were apparently rejected (for reasons which have not been clearly explained to the Lower Providence Township residents). These plans would have placed the pipeline along areas previously disturbed and would preserve the nature beauty of this area. An alternative could be a forced main which is a much smaller pipe which could be run alongside the bike path. Thus, grassroots effort is underway to force the reevaluation of the current plan
(more info at http://www.indianheadwatershed.com/
and on-line petition http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/stopthesewerinlp/).

All concerned citizens should take this opportunity to let the LPVRSA and their local representatives know how they feel about saving this precious resource. A rally is planned for May 7th, 2010 at 2pm at Hoy Park - many of our local, state, and federal representatives will be on hand to visit this area to evaluate whether it is worth saving. Please come show your support before it is too late.