The West Penn Township Water Resource & Planning Steering Committee and planning commission will meet at 10 a.m. Friday to discuss the water extraction ordinance.

Township solicitor Paul J. Datte said at Monday’s board of supervisors meeting that they will come back to the board with recommendations.

Supervisor Ted Bogosh said the water extraction issue has proven to be costly to the township.

“To date, we’ve spent almost $20,000 on this,” Bogosh said. “I hope it comes to an end soon.”

Board Chairman Tony Prudenti said he agreed, noting that the township has incurred the costs over the course of the past three years.

Helene Land, the wife of Jay Land, president and owner of Ringgold Acquisition Group II, questioned the purpose of Friday morning’s meeting.

Datte said the focus of that meeting will be on revisions to the existing water extractions ordinance.

Resident Dave Lapinsky questioned the status of reviewing existing water extraction operations.

Datte said the township is reviewing issues related to the existing ordinance and then reviewing water extraction operations that are already permitted.

Datte said residents “will find out when the supervisors are ready to inform everybody. They’re not ready yet.”

On Sept. 18, 2017, supervisors approved the creation of a Water Resource & Planning Steering Committee to make recommendations to the planning commission about revising the current water extraction ordinance of Dec. 8, 2015.

At the first meeting on Sept. 25, then board Chairman James Dean informed the committee their charge was to “promote the health, safety and welfare of the West Penn Township residents.”

The committee met six times and conducted a thorough review of water extraction operations in the township as well as, for comparison purposes, water extraction operations in other municipalities.

They made three primary recommendations:

• Water extraction/water harvesting/water withdrawal for sale for human consumption off-premises should be permitted only in the extractive industry, general industrial, light industrial and highway commercial zones.

• The loading stations for filling water into tanker trailers should be located only on a state highway (routes 309, 443 and 895) and tanker trailers should be prohibited from using all township roads.

• They encouraged the planning commission and board of supervisors to retain a lawyer with expertise and experience in water resources and public law to draft the proposed revisions to the water extraction ordinance.

Datte told Helene Land that the township isn’t looking at one particular water extraction operation, but all water extraction operations.

Helene Land said she’s worried about emails sent between people on the committee, and what bothers her is the way her husband is being spoken about.

However, Datte assured her that no conclusion has been reached on Task No. 2.

“We’re not interested in trying to create or engage in litigation,” he said.

Helene Land said, “If the proper procedures are followed, I’m not concerned.”

Datte emphasized that the township is “not trying to drive a result.”

Datte said that he and township engineer Bill Anders held a conference call with water extraction attorney Jordan Yeager, and that Yeager would be making some revisions to the existing draft ordinance.