A longtime plea from a borough fire chief for better water lines in Lake Hauto is being looked at by officials.

On Wednesday, Nesquehoning Hose Company fire Chief John McArdle, said that a meeting was recently held regarding the water system at the lake. Participants included several council members, state Rep. Doyle Heffley, state Sen. Dave Argall, Rep.-elect Jamie Barton, Lansford-Coaldale Joint Water Authority, Lake Hauto Club officials and fire officials.

McArdle said that from the meeting, it was decided that the Lansford-Coaldale Joint Water Authority would authorize its engineer to do a study of its water system at Lake Hauto. The complete study is expected to take about a year to complete.

McArdle added that the state officials offered their support in the form of funding opportunities, including LSA grants on the Carbon County side. Schuylkill County is not covered under this grant source.

One thing McArdle said was he was disappointed by the lack of officials from Rush Township at the meeting.

“Rush Township just seems that they’re not interested in doing anything at this time,” he said.

He noted that Hometown fire chief Barry Messerschmidt wasn’t able to make the meeting, but was “fully supportive of the actions.”

The issue with the Lake Hauto fire hydrant water system has been discussed since late 2015 when McArdle said that the hydrant lines were half the size needed to adequately provide enough water to fight a fire, while still providing water to the rest of the private development.

He equated the pressure coming through the lines would be like fighting a fire with a garden hose.