Overview
- Mercersburg Borough Council said the water authority chairman’s statements did not represent the borough and affirmed firefighters’ access to hydrants during emergencies.
- The Water Authority said Ed Twine did not speak for the board and stated it supports hydrant use to protect life and property.
- The authority cited water supply challenges, including a large leak that reduced storage levels, as context for recent strain on the system.
- The MMP&W department earlier reported being told to stop using hydrants and to “let the building burn,” then posted that officials backtracked after outreach by residents and local leaders.
- The dispute followed a barn fire where frozen draft sites forced hydrant use, highlighted volunteer staffing limits that kept a tanker off the scene, and revived concerns over a 2025 hydrant removal that the fire company plans to raise at upcoming meetings.