A groundbreaking ceremony was held in front of the Avella High School to celebrate the arrival of public water to the area. Officials from Pennsylvania American Water announced a $21 million waterline extension project that will run more than ten miles to deliver public water to Cross Creek Township and the Avella Schools campus. The Avella Schools campus was one of the last, if not the last school district in Pennsylvania to be without a public water source. Avella Superintendent Cyril Walther is pleased with the arrival of public water not only for health reasons but for safety as well. The buildings are serviced by a 20,000 holding tank. According to Edward Powers, EMS Director of the Avella Volunteer Fire Department, if there was a fire, that water would be exhausted in about fifteen minutes. Water in a fire emergency would need to be delivered by pumper trucks. Gary Lobaugh is the Senior Manager for Government and External Affairs at PAWC. He states that the project is slated to begin in early November and its anticipated completion is in the spring of 2025.