Wilkes-Barre, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has received and is reviewing additional permits for the drinking water treatment facility that will provide clean, safe drinking water to 21 homes in Dimock, Susquehanna County that have had their water wells impacted by natural gas drilling. Pennsylvania American Water Company (PA American) has started construction on a new public water line for Dimock residents – the result of a settlement secured by then-Attorney General Shapiro after Coterra Energy was found to be in violation of the Clean Streams Law for contaminating residents’ well water.
DEP approved the permit for the construction of the waterline in February 2025, and PA American expects to complete construction on schedule, by early 2026.
“Every Pennsylvanian has a right to clean air and pure water, but for too long, the good people of Dimock were denied their constitutionally protected right to clean water,” said Governor Josh Shapiro. “As Attorney General, I took action holding Coterra Energy accountable and securing a settlement requiring the company to pay the community’s water bills for the next 75 years and to install a new public water line. With construction starting on the water line, we’re closer than ever to restoring clean drinking water to Dimock and bringing justice for this community.”
The new system involves installing 6-miles of water lines and a new service line to each resident’s home. PA American has submitted applications to build a drinking water treatment facility and install additional water mains within several state and township roadways. PA American must also submit a permit application for the proposed water treatment, storage, and distribution system. DEP stands ready to review all required permit applications to ensure that the replacement water source meets the highest water quality standards and looks forward to continuing to work with PA American to get impacted residents clean water as soon as possible.
“This water system will provide Dimock residents with what they have been fighting to get for more than a decade, something others may take for granted: safe drinking water,” said DEP Acting Secretary Jessica Shirley. “It exemplifies the Shapiro Administration’s commitment to provide clean air and safe water to all Pennsylvania residents.”
In 2022, then-AG Shapiro announced that Coterra had pleaded no contest to charges related to environmental crimes in Northeastern Pennsylvania. The PA-AG’s Office charged Coterra in 2020 after a grand jury investigation into the contamination of well water in Dimock. The investigation revealed that the drilling activities of Coterra's predecessor, Cabot Oil and Gas, was responsible for methane pollution in local water supplies. The AG’s investigation led Coterra Energy to take full accountability for Cabot’s pollution of the community’s water, agree to pay impacted homeowners’ water bills for the next 75 years, and commit to paying $16 million towards building this public water line to provide clean, reliable drinking water for years to come.
DEP's 2022 COA with Coterra also requires Coterra to pay for the new water system and continue to provide water treatment for impacted residents until the public water system is available.
A copy of the NPDES permit and the COA can be found on DEP’s website: https://www.pa.gov/agencies/dep/about-dep/regional-office-locations/northcentral-regional-office/northcentral-community-information/dimock-gas-migration-investigation.html
The Shapiro Administration and the DEP will monitor construction of the water system, to make sure the work follows the conditions in the NPDES permit.
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