Bethlehem Water Authority board members had little to do at their Dec. 11 meeting besides resolve to play the waiting game on some issues.

The most prominent of these was the PennEast gas line planned to run though the Lehigh Valley, including authority property and neighboring municipalities. Though PennEast representatives spoke to the board recently, their commitment to making the pipeline happen was offset by a lack of specificity. There was no concrete information about where exactly the pipe would be laid down, and countless environmental and legal issues were unresolved.

Because of this, board members mostly debated hiring a consultant to perform a risk analysis of a gas line in authority land. But that may be premature, given the level of contention some agencies and municipalities have raised over the issue. Executive Director Steve Repasch said he hadn't heard from the gas company in two months. "I think they realized they're in for a battle."

Member Mark Jobes said the PennEast plan is still too vague to react to now, especially at an estimated $5,000. He suggested they wait six months to a year to initiate such a study. John Tallarico and Laurie Hacket ultimately agreed.

President Vaughn Gower wasn't convinced taking the initiative isn't the better idea, but agreed to wait while Repasch begins early talks with the consultants.

The next meeting is scheduled for 4 p.m. Jan. 8 at city hall.