RFP Shallow Groundwater Study and Act 537 Special Study

Project Description: Introduction and Background Milford Borough is a small, densely populated municipality in Pike County, Pennsylvania.
Milford Borough is a charming historic river town nestled in the beautiful Pocono Mountains. Visitors to Milford are attracted by its rich history, festivals, natural beauty and yearlong recreational activities. It is estimated that the town hosts almost 10,000 visitors each year. The borough measure one half square mile with 600 properties with a standard minimum residential lot size of 9600 square feet. Currently the borough is served by on-lot waste systems. A recently DEP approved 537 plan has approved central sewage for the commercial district connecting to a waste treatment plant in Westfall Township. Part of that approval is that Milford Borough will conduct a shallow groundwater study focusing on the residential district in order to determine the quantity of waste water contaminants in the ground water.
Attached is an USGS Report for consultation. The report was completed and published in 1994. It targets the hydrogeology and groundwater chemistry of the glacial aquifer that underlies Milford and Matamoras. The methodology and conclusions have been identified as best providing advice and procedures for this Act 537 planning study. This report is comprehensive and focused on similar objectives. Where possible, the DEP, through their hydrologist, would like to focus on areas in the Borough that have the greatest septic system density.
Pike County’s GIS system allows a zoom view into the borough properties and their density by block. Attached is a file with a map of the borough’s properties by street taken from this system. This image can be expanded online at https://gis.pikepa.org/myiDVViewer/.
Milford Borough is seeking proposals from qualified hydrogeologists or environmental consulting firms to conduct a Shallow Groundwater Study within the Borough limits. The study will focus on evaluating shallow groundwater (depths of 0 to 80 feet) in residential areas, particularly those outside the proposed sewer service area identified in the Borough’s Act 537 Plan.
The purpose of this study is to assess groundwater quality and identify potential contamination that may be linked to malfunctioning On-Lot Disposal Systems (OLDS). Results from this study will be incorporated into an Act 537 Special Study for submission to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). It is a requirement that the firm chosen will provide this special study.
The time frame is 2026-2027 with construction in 2026 and periodic sampling over 6 months to provide results required by the DEP.