OAKLAND TWP — There is a light at the end of the bureaucratic tunnel for Jim Zanella and the business he has owned for nearly five decades.

Zanella, owner of Zanella Automotive and Mini Mart at 989 Oneida Valley Road, is having a new water well dug — this one 10 feet deeper than the last — at a cost of about $35,000 to meet state Department of Environmental Protection standards and begin selling hot food again.

The Oakland Township business has been unable to sell hot food since Feb. 7 after the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture inspected the store. While the mini mart’s water was never tested, according to Shannon Powers, press secretary for the Department of Agriculture, Zanella had been using water from an unapproved public water source.

The DEP classifies a public system as one which provides water to the public for human consumption, which has at least 15 service connections or regularly serves an average of at least 25 individuals at least 60 days out of the year.

“The well at Zanella’s had not previously been evaluated to determine whether or not it meets design standards for public water supplies,” said Tom Decker, DEP’s northwest regional communications manager. “Additionally, raw water quality from the existing well had not previously been monitored to determine what level of treatment is appropriate to ensure public health is protected.”

Zanella has been working with the state DEP since 2019 to find a solution for the store’s water system, which was classified as an unapproved public water system on Dec. 5, 2019.

“Typically, the owner of the facility would hire a consultant to evaluate the existing water well to see if it meets design standards for a public water system,” Decker said. “If it does not, the owner would need to develop a new water source that does meet the design standards.”

Decker said part of that process requires the owner or their consultant to run a test on the existing water well, or a newly developed water well, to determine what level of treatment is appropriate.

“Depending on the level of treatment that is necessary, they would then submit to DEP a noncommunity water system application or public water supply permit application,” Decker said. “The DEP would then review the application and, if appropriate, issue an approval to construct or construction permit. The owner of the facility would then install treatment, DEP would conduct a pre-operation inspection, and finally, DEP would issue the (appropriate permit.)”

The store, which was notified by the state DEP over four years ago about its “unqualified” public water system, now has a path for resolution. The store, according to Zanella, should once again be able to sell by the end of March.

“Until then we’re following the DEP instructions” Zanella said. “The driller is working with the DEP, and hopefully we’ll get everything taken care of.”

On Jan. 25, 2020, the DEP sent a letter requesting Zanella to complete a noncommunity water supply application and return it to its office by Feb. 28, 2020.

Decker said that agency never received Zanella’s application.

Zanella said that he started working with the well consultant firm Book and Proch Well Drilling in 2020 to rectify the situation but was unable to make contact with the DEP due to COVID-19 restrictions.

“Of course COVID hit, and I couldn’t get anyone to come out,” Zanella said.

Decker said that the DEP was unable to move forward because the department never received a formal application indicating the water source and type of treatment Zanella intended to install to obtain the appropriate authorizations.

For the next nearly three years, Zanella continued to sell hot food items as he awaited a solution from the DEP. On Jan. 26, 2023, during a routine inspection, the Department of Agriculture cited the mini mart for being in violation of code 101.11, using an unapproved drinking water source.

According to the food facility inspection report, the store was given 30 days to correct the violation.

Powers said the agency gave some “grace time” because Zanella was already working with the DEP.

“The system is intended to not punish business owners,” Powers said. “It’s intended to help educated them on how to serve food safely.”

Nearly a year later, on Dec. 5, 2023, the Department of Agriculture followed up with its inspection and found the mini mart had the same violation.

This time, the store was given 60 days for corrective action, and again Zanella was given an extended grace period, according to Powers.

On Feb. 7, the Department of Agriculture restricted the retailer from selling hot food items, until its water came from an approved source.

Unable to sell hot food, which according to Zanella is “50% of his business,” he put a phone call into state Sen. Scott Hutchinson, R-21st.

“When individuals or business have problems with state government agencies,” Hutchinson said, “whether it’s a question that they can’t get answered or delays in things happening, we are always happy to help open some doors.”

Hutchinson said his office reached out the DEP to expedite the process.

“We want these businesses and agencies to have as friction-free relationship with the state agency as possible,” Hutchinson said.

On Feb. 12, five days after Zanella was told by the Department of Agriculture he was not able to serve non-prepackaged food in his store, a DEP hydrologist was on site working with Zanella’s consultant.

According to Zanella, the DEP is requiring him to develop a new water source that would meet standards.

“The major problem was they wanted (the well to have) 50 feet of casing,” Zanella said. “The old well only had 40 feet of casing.”

Well casing is a tube-shaped structure placed in the well to maintain the well opening from the targeted ground water to the surface. Along with grout, the casing keeps dirt and excess water out of the well.

Zanella said the cost to drill a new well be around $35,000.

“They’re going to drill the well, which is going to take about a week,” Zanella said. “Then they have to do the testing. I’m hoping by the end of March we’ll be able to sell hot food again.”