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to avoid the use of hard water, point-of-use treatment (&
or commercial building.
a water softener) can be installed in the residence
The Triassic shales and sandstones are at the surfaa throughout mod of these towaships. The well-known York
Sulfru Spring, one mile southeast of York Springs a d once the site of a summer resort, is on the south bank
of Bermudian Creek. This spring is a small one, $elding about 2 galloas per minute. The water has a distinct
odor of hydrogen sultide, but is quite clear.
The water-bearing propcrties of the Triassic rock in this area vary greatly, with recorded yields of 10 to 110
gallons per minute. Drilled wells in this area arc as shallow as 60 feet. The borough of East Berlin uses this
formation as a source of municipal water. The borough has 2 wells, 910 and 225 feet in depth, yielding 50 and
110 gallons per minute respectively.
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C W Umon To-
The oldest rock outcrops in these townships are Harpers phyllite, Antietam sandstone, and pre-Cambrian
volcanics that are exposed in the Pigeon Hils. These rocks yield small supplies to drilled we&.
The Antietam sandstone in this area is overlain by limestone. Considerable amounts of limestone have been
quarried in the vicinity of Bittinger, requiring Iarge quantities of water to be pumped out of the quarry work
areas every day. When one considers the size of the quarries, however, the percolation per unit area is actually
small. Practically all of the water enters the quarries through solution channels. It is improbable that much
water will be encountered at depths greater than w) or 300 feet below the surface. The largest and deepest well
in this area supplies 75 gallons of water per minute. DriiIing into a solution channel is the key to success when
drilling for large quantities of water in limestone regions. However, domestic sewage from on-site septic tanks
in these same regions will often leach effluent into these same channels and contamination can result.
The Triassic sediments associated with this area can usually be depended upon to yield small supplies to drilled
wells. The wells generally require screening to provide sediment-free water.
These townships are all underlain by Triassic sediments intruded by dikes and sills of diabase. Very few wells
in the Triassic sediments fail, however, large yields have not been reported from this area. Yields range from
2-112 to 7 gallons per minute, but the depth of the wells range from 40 to 155 feet - deeper drilling would
probably result in a higher water yield.
Menallen. But ler. Cumbe rland. and F reedom Towns hi=
The oldest rock outcrops in these townships are pre-Cambrian volcanic rocks exposed in South Mountain. These
rocks outcrop in a rugged, sparsely inhabited area where springs, drilled web, and some dug wells supply present
needs. Drilled wells not exceeding 250 feet in depth should yield enough water to supply the average residence.
However, some wek in this area may be failures.
Gettysburg and its surrounding residential development are located in this geologic zone. One commercial well
in Gettysburg yields 200 gpm with only a slight drawdown. The water is fairly hard; the hardness consisting
primarily of calaum carbonate dissolved from the limestone formation.
Sedimentary rocks in the area can be depended upon to yield small supplies. In some piaces, small springs issue
from the rock formations, as revealed by the spring at Devil's Run on the Gettysburg Battlefield that became
famous because of use by both sides during the famous battle.
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