Documentary History of American Water-works

Boyertown

Boyertown, Pennsylvania

Boyertown was incorporated as a borough in 1866.

The Boyertown Water Company was incorporated in 1856 with George Mull, Samuel Shaner, Daniel B. Boyer, William Bender, Frederick H. Stauffer, Charles Keely, William K. Stauffer, Lewis S. Worman, Benjamin Riegner, Jeremiah Schwenihart, Amos K. Strunk, Henry Borneman and David Fox appointed commissioners to sell stock "to bring and convey into the village of Boyerstown, in the county of Berks, a sufficient supply of fresh and pure water." The charter also required that "whenever the citizens of Boyerstown, either by themselves or by the corporate authorities of Boyerstown, should it be hereafter at any time incorporated, shall erect fire plugs, to be used solely for the extinguishment of fires, the said president and managers shall permit the same to be connected with their pipes laid in said village, and allow the inhabitants thereof to take and use water through said fire plugs without charge, for the extinguishment of fires, but not otherwise." This company built a system that was operating by the end of 1856.

By 1895 water service to the borough was unsatisfactory, and after legal wranglings that are covered in a 1901 court case, the borough prevailed and bought the company in April, 1902.

Water service is provided by the Borough of Boyertown.

References
1856 An act to authorize the Governor to incorporate the Boyertown Water company. April 18, 1856.

1871 "Boyertown Water Works," Reading Times, February 8, 1871, Page 1. Description of new works.

1888 "Boyertown," from Manual of American Water Works, Volume 1.

1890 "Boyertown," from Manual of American Water Works, Volume 2.

1891 "Boyertown," from Manual of American Water Works, Volume 3.

1897 "Boyertown," from Manual of American Water Works, Volume 4.

1901 Boyertown Water Company et al., Appellants, v. Boyertown Borough, 200 Pa. 394, October 11, 1901, Supreme Court of Pennsylvania.
The Act of June 2, 1887, P. L. 312, amended the Act of April 29, 1874, P. L. 94, section 34, cl.8, and thereby repealed the exclusive privileges given to water companies under the latter act.
Where a water company under its charter was required to furnish water free to a borough for the extinguishment of fire, the acceptance of such water by the borough does not forfeit the borough's right to provide a supply of water for the use of its inhabitants.
At the time of the passage and approval of the said act of April 18, 1856, mining operations carried on in the vicinity of the said village of Boyertown had destroyed many of the wells from which the inhabitants obtained their supply of water and threatened the destruction of the remaining wells, and the said water company promptly and within six months from the time of its organization proceeded to bring and did bring into the said village a supply of water.

1999 In Re Property Along Pine Road in Earl Township, 743 A.2d 990, Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania
The Borough owns and operates, through a public water authority, a public water supply system which it purchased in April of 1902 from the Boyertown Water Company, a private water company.