YORK COUNTY, Pa. — A major project in York County has reached an exciting benchmark.
“[We're] thrilled to be able to be where we are," said Mark Wheeler, chief operating officer of the York Water Company. "Obviously as you can see, a very active construction site you can see now. [We're] very excited to be at that halfway point.”
The York Water Company has been working on updating the Lake Williams Dam since 2021.
The original dam was built in 1911 and needed to be brought up to current regulations and dam design safety standards.
“Some of the largest pieces are our ability to withstand the probable maximum flood as well as having it constructed on concrete," Wheeler said.
Most of the dam has been demolished and a new dam structure and spillway are being built.
Wheeler said the $40 million rehab is a key investment in the facility which will help meet future needs of customers.
“Our ability to be able to withstand droughts and other weather conditions, this is our storage capacity," he explained.
When the project’s all finished, the dam’s reservoir will be raised an additional 12 inches, resulting in an additional 60 million gallons of water storage.
“More water storage means we have greater capacity during drought periods to supply all of our customers with adequate water supply and protect the environment at the same time," explained Steve Metzler, senior engineering project manager for York Water Company.
The water company hopes to have the entire project complete by the end of 2023.
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