The Water Distribution Division is responsible for maintenance of the water distribution system. This includes mains, valves, hydrants, pump stations, tanks, and water meters.


If you would like to read the 2005 Annual Drinking Water Report, Click Here. (PDF:130k)

The Sewer Collection Division is responsible for the maintenance of the sewer collection system. This includes cleaning, inspection of mains with TV cameras, inflow & infiltration program, and investigation of back ups.

To contact the Public Works please call 610-970-6527

Office Staff

STREETS DIVISION

Street Maintenance
The Borough has about 70 miles of streets and 15 miles of alleys. Sixty of the 70 miles are Borough owned and about 10 miles are State owned roads.

Report street problems to:
Public Works Office
610-970-6527

State Road Maintenance
Maintenance on State Roads including potholes and snow removal should be reported to PennDot’s hotline 1-800-349-7623.

The following streets are State owned:
- High Street: Glasgow St. to Porter Road
- Manatawny Street: High St. to Boro Line, North of Reynolds Avenue
- State Street: Manatawny St. to Boro Line, North of Wilson Street
- Hanover Street: Bridge over Schuylkill River to Farmington Avenue
- Farmington Avenue: Hanover St. to Boro Line, North of Wilson Street
- Charlotte Street: King St. to Mervine Street
- Armand Hammer Boulevard: Medical Dr. to High Street
- King Street: Manatawny Street to Rt. 100

Snow Removal
The Streets Division operates 5 dump trucks equipped with plows and salt spreaders. Salt is applied the designated snow routes, hills and school zones when the snow begins to stick to the roads. There are 22 miles of borough streets divided into five (5) zones. PennDot salts and plows all State Roads. Plowing begins when the snow reaches three (3") inches in depth. If the snow accumulation is greater than six (6") inches, the crews will continuously plow all snow routes to keep the streets open for emergency vehicles. A full-width plowing is done at the end of the storm to open all streets. During plowing operations, snow is pushed to the right side of the road blocking driveways and parked cars. Residents may wish to wait until the street plowing operations are complete before digging out driveways and parked cars. The Municipal Parking Lots are salted and/or plowed as soon as manpower is available.

Sidewalks are the responsibility of the property owner and must be cleared 12 hours after the snowstorm is over. It is illegal to throw snow from your sidewalk, driveway, or parked car into streets or alleys. If there is a fire hydrant in front of your property, please remove the snow around it. This will save time in case of an emergency.

> Top of Page <

Sign Maintenance
The streets crew maintains a variety of signs as follows:
Regulatory: stop, one-way, no parking, etc
Advisory: street names
Construction: road closed

Report missing, faded or bent signs to:
Public Works Office
610-970-6527

Street Sweeping
Scheduling of the street sweeper is conducted on a five day, five-zone time frame. Each zone is run one day each week, alternating even and odd numbers each week. This method of alternating the sweeping allows residents to move their cars to the other side of the street.

Street Lights
The Borough of Pottstown purchased the street light system from Philadelphia Electric Co. in 1989. The Borough owns and maintains about 1,800 street lights. The Borough street lights are designed to light streets and alleys. All street lights are operated by electric eyes, which turn the light on when it gets dark and off in the morning when it gets light.
Report street light problems to:
Public Works Office
610-970-6527

> Top of Page <

Traffic Lights
The Borough of Pottstown owns and operates 41 traffic lights. PennDot regulates all traffic lights in Pennsylvania as to layout, timing, location, and signage. Any changes to a signalized intersection requires Penndot approval.
Report traffic light problems to:
Public Works Office
610-970-6527

Storm Sewers
The storm water system is an entirely separate collection system and does not connect to the sanitary sewer system. The Borough owns and operates a storm water network of some 1,300 storm inlets and 60 miles of drainage pipe. The discharge of the storm water is directed to the Manatawny Creek or the Schuylkill River.

Please remember that the storm inlets in the street are not garbage receptacles. Items such as garbage and oil pollute the river. If you see anyone dumping anything in the storm inlets please report them to the Police Department or Public Works
immediately.

PA One Call
Call Before You Dig!
State Law requires that any person excavating to a depth greater than eighteen (18”) inches, must call the PA One Call Center at 1-800-242-1776 to notify them of the location. PA One Call Center will then notify all utilities in the area so they may come out and locate their facilities.

PA Law requires a three-day notice to give the utilities time to mark out the facilities unless the excavation is an emergency. If you damage an underground facility, you may be liable for damages if the PA One Call Center is not first notified.

> Top of Page <

Water Distribution Division

The Water Authority owns and maintains over 115 miles of distribution pipe ranging in size from 4” to 24”. The distribution system also includes 5 pumping stations, one reservoir, and four storage tanks. The distribution system supplies water to the Borough of Pottstown as well as the following townships; West Pottsgrove, Upper Pottsgrove, Lower Pottstgove, and bulk water is sold to North Coventry Township.

Hydrant Flushing
Hydrant flushing takes place twice a year, in the spring and fall. The flushing accomplishes two goals. The first goal is to remove sediment that may accumulate in the mains and the second goal is to operate every hydrant to ensure that they are in operating condition if required for an emergency. If your water does appear cloudy, allow your cold water to run for a short time until it clears. If you are still having trouble please call Public Works at 610-970-6527.

> Top of Page <

SEWER COLLECTION DIVISION

The Borough maintains a sewer collection system that conveys the wastewater to the plant on Industrial Highway. The collection system includes 70 miles of pipe ranging in size from 6” to 36”. The collection system also transports wastewater from West Pottsgrove Township and Upper Pottsgrove Township to the Plant. Lower Pottsgrove transports most of its wastewater to the plant with its own pipes.

Inflow/Infiltration Program
The Borough’s I/I Program is designed to identify illegal discharges of clean water into the sanitary collection system.

Inflow is a condition that exists when rainwater is allowed to connect directly into the sanitary system. Inflow sources may include: sump pumps, rain spouts, cellar drains, yard drains, foundation drains, cooling water discharges to name a few. The problem created by inflow is that as it rains, water enters into the collection system. The pipes are sized to handle normal operational demand, once the capacity in the system is full, the sewage has no where to go other than back up in to homes and/or overload the plant.

Infiltration is a condition whereby underground pipes that convey sewage, have cracks that allow ground water to filter into the sanitary pipe. Infiltration sources include: cracked pipes, bad pipe joints, and penetration of tree roots.

I/I programs include flow studies that are used to help identify the type of flow causing the problem. Smoke or dye testing is used to locate the source of flow. TV cameras are used to inspect the pipes for cracks and other defects that may allow inflow or infiltration.

The I/I program is an ongoing program that will always be needed to help keep the sanitary system from overloading and control costs.

Overloads in the sanitary system are an environmental problem that affects all of us. As sanitary systems get older they are susceptible to I/I problems. If I/I is not kept under control, one remedy will be to install larger pipes and construct a larger plant to processes the increased flow. Building larger facilities is very expense, costing every one more money to process rainwater.

Help do your part by removing sump pumps and roof drains from the sanitary system. If you are not sure where your rain spouts or sump pump are connected, call Public Works at 610-970-6527 to get information or have a free home inspection.