Beaver Run's water levels remain OK despite dry spell, authority officials say

Water levels at Beaver Run Reservoir remain far above the limit where conservation efforts need to be enacted, Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County officials said Wednesday.

The recent dry spell that has turned lawns brown and wilted flower gardens in Western Pennsylvania has so far not stressed the primary water sources for the authority’s more than 123,000 customers in five local counties.

“Beaver Run is holding up well,” said MAWC manager Michael Kukura.

The reservoir, which services the northern half of the authority’s customer base, was about 10 feet above the level that would trigger the onset of conservation efforts required in times of drought. Water use restrictions are not anticipated to be needed in the coming weeks and months, officials said.

MAWC instituted mandatory conservation last winter, and months of dry weather left depleted water levels at the reservoir. Customers north of Route 30 were required to cut water use by as much as 10% until early March, when heavy prolonged rains refilled the reservoir.

At its low point last winter, the reservoir had fallen to 1,032 feet above sea level.

Water levels at the reservoir were more than 1,046 feet on Wednesday, which is about 3 feet from spilling over its banks. Rainfall for June was about 2 inches below historical averages, but the excessively wet late winter and spring provided a cushion, Kukura said.

“Last year, we were about 8 feet low, and we were crossing our fingers and hoping. We had two years of dry conditions that caused the conservation. This (dry weather) would have to continue for another year and a half,” he said about potential drought conditions. “We should be good.”

The authority’s water supply will be increased in the coming years.

Authority board members on Wednesday signed off on a deal with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to allow it to extract an additional 10 million gallons of water a day from the Youghiogheny River, which services the southern half of MAWC’s customer base.

Water from the Yough is treated at the Indian Creek treatment plant in Connellsville. That plant is undergoing a $32 million expansion that is slated to be completed in 2026.

MAWC is allowed to withdraw up to 40 million gallons daily from the Yough. The new agreement will permit the agency to pull from the river up to 50 million gallons a day.

“This gives us more capacity and an ability to push more water north. It will provide more water for emergency situations, existing operations and for future growth,” said authority business manager Brian Hohman.

The authority will pay the Army Corps $10 million over the next 30 years for the additional water. The cost was factored into the 2024-25 budget MAWC board members approved this year that upped water rates by 9%.

MAWC is permitted to withdraw up to 30 million gallons of water daily from the Beaver Run Reservoir. It uses about 23 million gallons a day from that source, officials said.