Utilities Failure Electric, Water, Gas, and Communications

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1 Utilities Failure Electric, Water, Gas, and Communications General Electric All 21 municipalities within Snyder County receive electric service from PPL Utilities, Inc. According to the U.S. Department of, a 500-volt line runs through Snyder County. Three 138-volt lines stem from this 500-volt line in Shamokin Dam,. Water Water service in Snyder County is provided by various municipal and regional authorities, private water providers, and private well water sources. Gas is the only gas provider in Snyder County, providing service to Jackson, Middlecreek, Monroe, and Penn Townships, as well as Selinsgrove and Shamokin Boroughs. Communications of provides telephone service to all 21 municipalities in Snyder County. Cable television service is provided by, Nittany Media, Inc.,, and Beaver Springs Community TV Association. High-speed Internet access is provided by DSL service or cable/internet service. A summary of municipal utility providers in Snyder County can be seen below. C-1

2 Municipal Utility Provider Summary Electric Water Gas Telephone Public Sanitary Sewer Cable Adams Township PPL Utilities, Inc. Adams Township Municipal None None - Beaver Township PPL Utilities, Inc. Private Well Water and Beavertown Municipal None On Lot Sewage Disposal and Beavertown Municipal Beavertown Borough PPL Utilities, Inc. Beavertown Municipal None Beavertown Municipal and Nittany Media, Inc. Center Township PPL Utilities, Inc. Penns Creek Municipal None Penns Creek Municipal Chapman Township PPL Utilities, Inc. None - Private Well Water None Union-Chapman Regional Franklin Tow nship PPL Utilities, Inc. Middleburg Municipal None On Lot Sewage Disposal and Middleburg Municipal Freeburg Borough PPL Utilities, Inc. Freeburg Municipal None Freeburg Municipal Jackson Township PPL Utilities, Inc. Kratzerville Municipal None - On lot Sewage Disposal Systems McClure Borough PPL Utilities, Inc. McClure Municipal None McClure Municipal Nittany Media, Inc. Middleburg Borough PPL Utilities, Inc. Middleburg Municipal None Middleburg Municipal Middlecreek Township PPL Utilities, Inc. Kreamer Municipal Kreamer Municipal Monroe Township PPL Utilities, Inc. Aqua Hummels Wharf Municipal C-2

3 Electric Water Gas Telephone Public Sanitary Sewer Cable Penn Township PPL Utilities, Inc. Penn Township Municipal Water & Sewer and Pennsview Water Company Penn Township Municipal Water & Sewer Perry Township PPL Utilities, Inc. Mt. Pleasant Mills Municipal None Mt. Pleasant Mills Municipal Selinsgrove Borough PPL Utilities, Inc. Selinsgrove Borough Municipal Eastern Snyder County Regional (Conveyance & Treatment) Shamokin Dam Borough PPL Utilities, Inc. Shamokin Dam Borough Eastern Snyder County Regional Spring Township PPL Utilities, Inc. Spring Township Municipal None Spring Township Municipal Beaver Springs Community TV Association Union Township PPL Utilities, Inc. None - Private Well Water None Washington Township PPL Utilities, Inc. - None Union-Chapman Regional - and West Beaver Township PPL Utilities, Inc. - None West Perry Township PPL Utilities, Inc. Richfield Area Joint None Source: Richfield Area Joint - C-3

4 History While this information is not well documented, it is commonly known that utility failures occur annually, at a minimum. The future documentation of these failures may provide opportunities for the County to mitigate such service failures. Vulnerability Electric Severe weather is one of the greatest causes of power loss. Snow, ice, high winds, and lightning can cause damage to electric power grid infrastructure. Worker strikes have not been known to cause major power outages. However, in some cases, minor power failures have occurred. Other causes of power outages include: flooding; falling tree limbs; vehicle accidents involving utility poles; and small animals climbing the lines and shorting out power supply. Other hazards resulting from power outages include: temperature extremes (inside residences); unsafe drinking water; electrical shock from downed power lines; and carbon monoxide poisoning. The low-income and elderly populations of Snyder County are the most vulnerable to power outages. When power shortages or failures occur, they are typically on a regional scale, not simply in a single county. Causes include: infrastructure failure, sabotage, human error, and worker strikes. Power outages can also be and often are a secondary effect of severe weather. Power outages can cause damage to both homes and businesses. Often, power outages will result in spoiled refrigerated inventories. Water Water contamination can occur naturally, by human error or intentionally. Occasionally, releases of manure and milk into the water supply can cause contamination. There are also times when accidental spills and releases of hazardous materials contaminate water. Water supplies along transportation routes may be affected by hazardous materials spills. Snyder County s water supply includes wells, springs/streams, reservoirs, treatment plants, and pumping stations. Water distribution can be affected in three ways: the amount of water available; the quality of the water; and the viability of the physical components of the distribution systems. The quantity of water usually depends on nature. Humans, on the other hand, are primarily responsible for the maintenance of water quality. Terrorism is a potential threat to water quality. Some intelligence estimates indicate that terrorists may attempt to either poison the water supply or damage associated infrastructure. Some terrorist organizations have stated their intention to poison the water supply. However, U.S. intelligence officials state that this would be difficult to accomplish, based on the amount of poison needed to contaminate the water supply. C-4

5 Gas With limited gas supplies in Snyder County, the effects of a gas shortage are minimal. Only six municipalities are served with natural gas. Communications While Snyder County residents are offered a variety of communication provider services, they are all still vulnerable to communication failures. Small-scale failures occur annually. The probability of a large-scale failure is low. Probability The probability of a large-scale and extended period of utility failure is low. However, smallscale and shorter periods of utility failure occur annually. Maximum Threat The maximum utilities failure threat to Snyder County is a loss of electricity, communications, and water supply. These resources help ensure the health, safety, and general welfare of all County residents. While all areas in the County are vulnerable to a loss of utilities, the greatest threat to the County is a loss of utilities for prolonged periods of time. The longer the breakdown, the worse the impact will be. A loss of natural gas can negatively impact the County, but it will not have the impact, when compared with the loss of other utilities, such as electricity, communications, and water. The greatest natural gas failure threat is during cold weather. Luckily, few residents in Snyder County use natural gas, making an electric failure more hazardous. Secondary Effect The potential secondary effect of a loss of communications and water is an inadequate emergency response. Efficient and effective communications and water supplies are vital resources for first responders. A loss of electricity can also negatively impact emergency responders. However, backup power generators can mitigate these impacts. A loss of natural gas typically will not result in secondary hazards. If natural gas is lost during cold periods of weather, the impact can be worse. C-5