Lehigh Valley Water Systems moving back to where it all began

Business is coming full circle for the Long Family as they look to move back into the building where the family business started. 

Barry Long founded Long’s Ecowater back in 1976, purchasing a property to run the business out of along Route 309 in Orefield in 1986. 

The Long family ran the water treatment services business out of that building until Long sold it in 2002 and the new owners took over the business and began leasing the property. The new owners kept the Long’s name. 

Barry Long’s goal at the time was to leave the business world to pursue work in ministry and he worked for Faith Church in Trexlertown. 

But Long’s son, Ben, said the family started missing being in business and when the non-compete clause expired, the family decided to open a new water treatment service business. In 2012 they began Lehigh Valley Water Systems. 

They’ve been operating out of warehouse space in the industrial park area off of Route 100, for the past 10 years, but the family wanted more. 

“We really wanted a retail space,” said Ben Long. That wasn’t something they could have in their existing space. 

So, when Long’s Ecowater’s lease was due to expire, Long decided it was time to take his new business into his old location and he told the company they would not renew the lease so Lehigh Valley Water Systems could move in. 

“We are looking forward to moving into the building I enjoyed operating out of for many years. I’m glad my son and I can continue to serve as an asset to the community and its residents for all their water treatment needs,” Barry Long said. 

Meanwhile, in June Long’s Ecowater announced it was building a new facility for its operations on Hausman Road in South Whitehall Township. 

Long expects Lehigh Valley Water Services to be operating out of the Route 309 building sometime in November.