Friendly Reminder! October Utility Bills

Please be advised that the October utility bills were sent out last week, and the net amount is due by October, 25th. If you are set up with Xpress Bill Pay, please be sure to check your email. If you receive paper statements and have not received your bill, please feel free to contact the billing department at 484-661-5805.

Trick-or-Treat Night set for Friday, October 28, 2022

Salisbury Township
Trick-Or-Treat Night
Friday, October 28, 2022 6:00 P.M. – 8:00 P.M.
Download a Flyer (PDF) »

Important Trick-or-Treating Safety Tips:

  • Make sure your child’s clothing is flame retardant. Review the stop-drop-roll exercise.
  • Attach your child’s name and address to the inside of his or her costume.
  • Imitation knives, guns and swords are not recommended costume accessories.
  • Give children flashlights and/or reflective tape, especially if their costume is a dark color.
  • Set up a curfew for your older kids.
  • Discuss, in advance, the route trick-or-treaters should follow.
  • Wear comfortable shoes.
  • Keep dogs and other pets away from your front door so that visiting children will not become frightened.
  • Remove items kids could trip over from your walkway and doorstep.
  • Make sure your outdoor lights are operational.
  • Watch for signs of tampered candy, such as loose wrappers, and check all treats before they are eaten.
  • Throw away homemade or unwanted treats. When in doubt, throw it out.
  • Teach children how to dial 911 if they become lost or have an emergency.
  • Avoid costume masks and use non-toxic make-up instead.

Warning to Motorists:

  • Watch for children in the street and medians
  • Enter and exit alleys and driveways slowly and carefully
  • Watch for children in dark clothing
  • Avoid all unnecessary travel on Trick-or-Treat Night and Halloween

Township OF Salisbury Request for Proposals (RFP) for Municipal Engineeer

The Township of Salisbury, Lehigh County, PA will be accepting Proposals to engage a registered civil engineering firm or individual for engineering services as the Township’s primary Engineer commencing January 1, 2023 (or upon appointment) through December 31, 2023. Proposals must be submitted no later than October 24, 2022 at 4:00 pm as follows:  An original, clearly marked as the “ORIGINAL”, and seven (7) full, complete and exact copies of each proposal and an electronic copy shall be submitted in sealed envelopes and must be marked with “RFP Submission-Township Engineer” and addressed to and mailed or delivered directly to:  Salisbury Township, Attn: Cathy Bonaskiewich, Township Manager, 2900 S. Pike Avenue, Allentown, PA 18103. Copies of the RFP may be obtained at the above address or by visiting www.salisburytownshippa.org. The Township reserves the right to reject any and all proposals, with or without cause, and waive any irregularities or informalities in the proposals.

Cathy Bonaskiewich
Township Manager

ADV. 9/14/2022

Download the RFP (PDF) »

Fall Branch Collection

The Salisbury Township Public Works Department will be conducting a curbside branch collection for residents during the week of October 10, 2022.  Residents should place their branches at the curb on Sunday, October 9 after 6:00 pm and crews will be around during the week to collect them.  Branches may be no larger than five-feet long and five inches in diameter, and they should be bundled and tied with twine.  An open container may be used for small twigs, but no bags or lids are permitted.  No more than six bundles/cans per property is permitted.

DEP Declares Drought Watch for 36 Counties, Asks for Voluntary Water Conservation

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 31, 2022
Map included

Harrisburg, PA –The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) today announced the Commonwealth Drought Task Force has declared a drought watch for 36 counties and asks for voluntary water conservation in those counties.

“A few counties have experienced very dry conditions over the summer, and a number of others have inched into increasingly dry conditions in recent weeks. We’re asking Pennsylvanians in all of these counties to use water wisely and follow simple water conservation tips to ease the demand for water,” said DEP Acting Secretary Ramez Ziadeh. 

The following counties are on drought watch: Berks, Bucks, Bradford, Cameron, Carbon, Centre, Clearfield, Clinton, Columbia, Dauphin, Delaware, Juniata, Lackawanna, Lebanon, Lehigh, Luzerne, Lycoming, McKean, Mifflin, Monroe, Montgomery, Montour, Northampton, Northumberland, Perry, Philadelphia, Pike, Potter, Schuylkill, Snyder, Sullivan, Susquehanna, Tioga, Union, Wayne, and Wyoming. For a map of drought declarations that’s updated daily, see the DEP drought web page.

Map: Pennsylvania County Drought Status as of August 30, 2022

Residents on drought watch are asked to reduce their individual water use by 5 to 10%, or a reduction of three to six gallons of water per day. 

DEP is notifying all water suppliers in these counties of the need to monitor their supplies and be prepared by updating their drought contingency plans as necessary. Varying localized conditions may lead water suppliers or municipalities to ask residents for more stringent conservation actions.

At this time, two public water suppliers are requiring residents to reduce their water use: Galeton Borough Water Authority in Potter County and Waterville Water Association in Lycoming County.

Six suppliers are asking residents to voluntarily reduce their water use:

  • BCI Municipal Authority, Clearfield County
  • Driftwood Boro, Cameron County
  • Jersey Shore Area Joint Water Authority, Lycoming County
  • Lock Haven, Clinton County
  • Palmerton Municipal Water Authority, Carbon County
  • Pennsylvania American Water Company – Bangor District, Carbon County

Ways to Conserve Water at Home

There are many ways to conserve water at home, including: 

  • Run water only when necessary. Don’t let the faucet run while brushing your teeth or shaving. Shorten the time you let the water run to warm up before showering.
  • Run the dishwasher and washing machine less often, and only with full loads.
  • Water your garden in the cooler evening or morning hours, and direct the water to the ground at the base of the plant, so you don’t waste water through evaporation.
  • Water your lawn only if necessary. Apply no more than 1 inch of water per week (use an empty can to determine how long it takes to water 1 inch). Avoid watering on windy and hot days. This pattern will encourage healthier, deeper grass roots. Over-watering is wasteful, encourages fungal growth and disease, and results in shallow, compacted root systems that are more susceptible to drought.
  • When mowing your lawn, set the blades to 2-3 inches high. Longer grass shades the soil, improving moisture retention. It also grows thicker and develops a deeper root system, so it can better survive drought.
  • Check for and repair household leaks. For example, a leaking toilet can waste up to 200 gallons of water daily.
  • Sweep your sidewalk, deck, or driveway instead of hosing it off.
  • Replace older appliances with high-efficiency, front-loading models that use about 30 percent less water and 40-50 percent less energy.
  • Install low-flow plumbing fixtures and aerators on faucets.
  • Set up a rain barrel to be ready to repurpose rain when it does fall. For information, see this Penn State Extension guide.

Find more tips at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

How DEP Determines Drought Conditions

To determine drought conditions, DEP assesses information on public water supply levels and data on four indicators: precipitation, surface water (stream and river) flow, groundwater level, and soil moisture. Declarations aren’t based on one indicator alone, such as precipitation. 

The DEP Drought Coordinator monitors the indicators in close partnership with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), which maintains gauges in streams and wells in many locations across Pennsylvania.

There are normal ranges for all four indicators. DEP makes drought status recommendations after assessing departures from these ranges for all indicators for periods of 3-12 months. For a map that’s updated daily to show the status of all four indicators for each county, see the USGS Pennsylvania drought condition monitoring website.

DEP shares these data and its recommendations with the state and federal agencies and other organizations that make up the Commonwealth Drought Task Force. Drought watch and warning declarations are determined by DEP, with the concurrence of the task force.

Drought emergency declarations follow the same process, with final approval by the governor.  No county is in drought warning or emergency status at this time.

For more information on how DEP monitors conditions and makes drought status declarations, see the drought management fact sheet.

The next Commonwealth Drought Task Force meeting will be on Tuesday, September 13, 2022, at 1:00 PM.

MEDIA CONTACT: Deb Klenotic, 717-783-9954

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