Trappe's original waster system was installed in
1928 and consisted of a 70,000 gallon water tower, a
450ft. deep well, a small covered reservoir, a
kerosene engine driven pump and air compressor, and a
couple of miles of lead-jointed cast iron pipe. The
well was located directly across the street from what
is now the Town Office. The "pump house", a
tin covered wood frame building, stood next to the
well and housed a large air compressor and a
centrifugal water pump. The pump and air compressor
were each powered by a large, one cylinder,
kerosene-burning engine. The reservoir, which was not
unlike a large swimming pool covered by a tin roof,
stood directly behind the "pump house".
During operation, compressed air was forced down the
well to "blow out" the water. The water was
collected in the reservoir and then pumped to the
water tower. At some point, when electricity became
available, the kerosene engines were replaced by
electric motors, but the original air-lift system
remained in operation into the late
1940's.
A second well was installed around 1954 and quickly
abandoned because the water contained so much iron. A
third well was subsequently installed, under what is
now the Town Hall meeting room, it remained in
operation until it went dry in 1967. The present well
#4 was hastily installed in 1967, followed by the
well #5 in 1971. These two wells draw from the Piney
Point Aquifer at 435 feet, and can each produce about
245,000 gallons of water per day.
A new 250,000 gallon water tower was placed in service
in the fall of 1998. All of the water from the
town's two wells is pumped directly into the
water tower and disinfected with chlorine before
entering the city water mains. On an average day,
Trappe residents use about 125,000 gallons of
water.
Our water system is operated, and monitored daily, by
Steve Callahan and Jessica Banzet.
Water samples are collected twice each month and
analyzed by a State certified laboratory for
bacterial contamination. Our constant goal is to
provide our residents with a safe and dependable
supply of drinking water. We are pleased to report
that our drinking water is safe and meets federal and
state requirements. Please take time to read our
"Water Quality Report" and "consumer
tips".
To inquire about the operation of the water or sewer system,
please contact Steve Callahan and Jessica Banzet at the
wastewater treatment plant lab. Phone: