Somerset County, PA — Wilbur is a town that board members say has seen a drier summer than the surrounding area. Now it’s facing a new problem: a loss of water service.
“That is something that worries me every night. We’re just hoping that we can hang in there. We’re a small town. We don’t have a lot of money. They can’t afford a lot of money. The chances of something breaking are pretty good.” says Wilbur Board President, Christine Moldovan.
Moldovan tells me the town’s water operator is now retired, followed by the anticipated retirement of Frank Kubas, a volunteer, and the only other person helping maintain the system, which was put together in 1958.
“We just never had the money for upkeep. To improve our pump house, to get a more up-to-date system. That’s why we have to go up. We have to scoop water out. Put it in a little test bottle.” Moldovan says. She says the town is reaching out to the EADS Group in hopes to connect to their water system. In the meantime she tells me the town is training people who can service and test the water daily, until a long term plan is established.
Moldovan says Kubas will retire on October 12th, and that she and others appreciate his help throughout the years.