Overview
PENNVEST is a financing authority that provides low-cost financial assistance to address water, wastewater, stormwater, and non-point source pollution problems that impact public health, safety, the environment, regulatory compliance, and economic development.
PENNVEST focuses on two goals for the betterment of the Commonwealth - ensuring all Pennsylvanians have access to clean water and supporting the Commonwealth's economic development. PENNVEST's low-cost financial assistance helps to make the water, consumed daily by thousands of Pennsylvanians, safe to drink. This funding is also a key component in the Commonwealth's efforts to purify rivers and streams, protecting the health of our citizens and natural resources. The projects funded by PENNVEST induce businesses to locate and expand their operations in Pennsylvania to create permanent, lucrative jobs for our workers.
Projects Eligible for Funding
Select the expand icon to the right of each category to view more detail.
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is committed to ensuring that all citizens have access to clean drinking water. PENNVEST financing is available to support drinking water infrastructure improvement projects falling under six (6) categories:
- Treatment facility projects
- Transmission and distribution pipe rehabilitation and replacement
- Source rehabilitation or development
- Consolidation of two ore more water systems
- Creation of new systems
Select the Apply for PENNVEST Funding button to apply for Drinking Water Infrastructure financing using the standard PENNVEST funding application.
Ineffective wastewater systems contribute to the pollution of the Commonwealth’s waterways. PENNVEST is committed to protecting and restoring our waterways by financing wastewater infrastructure improvements around:
- Construction of publicly owned treatment works
- Decentralized wastewater treatment systems
- Water conservation, efficiency, and reuse
- Energy efficiency within the treatment process
- Security measures at publicly owned treatment works
Select the Apply for PENNVEST Funding button to apply for Wastewater Infrastructure financing using the standard PENNVEST funding application.
Ineffective stormwater management contributes to the pollution of the Commonwealth’s waterways. PENNVEST is committed to protecting and restoring our waterways by financing stormwater infrastructure improvements around stormwater:
- Management
- Reduction
- Treatment
- Recapture
- Reuse or recycling
Select the Apply for PENNVEST Funding button to apply for Stormwater Infrastructure financing using the standard PENNVEST funding application.
Studies have shown that 50 percent – 75 percent of lead contamination in drinking water comes from lead service lines. PENNVEST provides financial assistance for the replacement of materials used in water distribution that contribute to lead contamination. Projects eligible for PENNVEST funding around lead mitigation include the replacement of:
- Lead and galvanized iron or steel service lines
- Lead gooseneck, pigtail, or connectors in the lines
Select the Apply for PENNVEST Funding button to apply for Lead Service Line Replacement financing using the standard PENNVEST funding application.
Emerging contaminants, including PFAS (Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances) and PFOA (Perfluorooctane Sulfonate) can be found in our air, soil, groundwater, and surface water and can be harmful to humans over time. These chemical substances are introduced into our environment from discarded or expelled medications, cosmetics, sunscreens, fragrances, cookware, carpeting, fabric, food packaging as well as from firefighting foams and many industrial processes.
PENNVEST commits funding towards projects that reduce the introduction of contaminants into our environment. Eligible water treatment technologies include:
- Activated carbon adsorption
- Ion exchange resins
- High-pressure membranes (reverse osmosis and nanofiltration)
Select the Apply for PENNVEST Funding button to apply for Emerging Contaminants Remediation financing using the standard PENNVEST funding application.
Agriculture introduces contaminants into the Commonwealth’s waterways through drainage of fertilizer, pesticides, organic matter, drug residues, and sediments into streams and ponds. This contamination can be minimized through the institution of Best Management Practices (BMPs). Conservation districts or landowners can utilize PENNVEST financing, and potentially receive grants, to fund BMP projects such as:
- Construction or upgrades to manure storage facilities
- Creation of lagoons and riparian buffers
- Installation of fencing as a barrier to animals along a stream or riparian area
- Heavy use area protection
- Prescribed grazing
- Construction of roof runoff structures
- Installation of stream crossing areas
- Implementation of vegetated treatment areas
- Creation of critical area planting
- Establishment of diversion of surface water from farmsteads, waste systems, etc.
- Inclusion of filter strips
- Installation of grassed waterways
Select the Apply for PENNVEST Funding button to apply for Agricultural Best Management Practices financing using the standard PENNVEST funding application.
In addition to stormwater infrastructure funding, PENNVEST supports the health of the Commonwealth’s waterways by financing green infrastructure projects, that help to reduce stormwater flows into the sewer or surface waters. Green infrastructure projects include:
- Downspout disconnection
- Rainwater harvesting
- Rain gardens
- Planter boxes
- Bioswales
- Permeable pavement
- Green streets and alleys
- Green parking
- Green roofs
- Urban tree canopies
- Land conservation (riparian areas, wetlands, steep hillsides)
Select the Apply for PENNVEST Funding button to apply for Green Infrastructure financing using the standard PENNVEST funding application.
Estuaries are large bodies of water that meet at the mouth of a river or stream. These estuaries are vital to the ecosystems that provide a home and habitat for fish and water life. Rapid human population growth over several decades has created an abundance of nutrients that have leached into the estuaries through ground and surface waters. The results are dissolved oxygen levels within the water and changes in water quality that essentially destroy productive fish areas and create displeasing waters that adversely affect the valuable tourist industry and property values. PENNVEST can provide funding to leverage existing funding partnerships that help with the removal and abatement of these nutrients from wastewater treatment and stormwater management programs including changes in water flow within the estuary to increase flushing to complement reduction and removal efforts.
Select the Apply for PENNVEST Funding button to apply for Estuary Revitalization financing using the standard PENNVEST funding application.
PENNVEST funding can be leveraged with existing funding partnerships to provide communities with the means to address acid mine drainage (AMD) problems impacting water supplies. AMD projects that demonstrate cost-effective environmental benefits for water supplies can use PENNVEST funding for:
- Monitoring of water quality changes resulting from an abatement project
- Engineering costs for a priority reclamation project
- Design costs for a priority reclamation project
- Construction costs for a priority reclamation project
Select the Apply for PENNVEST Funding button to apply for Acid Mine Remediation financing using the standard PENNVEST funding application.
A brownfield is a piece of land or property that has been previously used for industrial or commercial purposes and may threaten Commonwealth water quality due to contamination by toxic waste. A greyfield is an old, and abandoned commercial real estate, specifically shopping malls and retail centers. PENNVEST supports the sale and reuse of industrial and commercial properties in the Commonwealth by funding remediation projects to revitalize brownfield and greyfield properties.
The benefits provided by PENNVEST funding of brownfield and greyfield projects include:
- Make the properties more attractive for new buyers
- Improve the quality of local surface and groundwater
- Encourage reuse of property in urban areas rather than contributing to suburban sprawl into surrounding rural areas
- Help revitalize the economies of local communities
- Create employment opportunities in areas of low income and/or high unemployment
- Increase local tax bases
- Facilitate the use or reuse of existing infrastructure and facilities located in the proximity of the sites
- Facilitate the creation, preservation, or addition to parks, greenways, open spaces, and other recreational properties
PENNVEST funding can be leveraged with economic development authorities and investments groups for the remediation of drinking water and surface water as part of larger efforts for brownfield and greyfield development.
Select the Apply for PENNVEST Funding button to apply for Brownfield/Greyfield Redevelopment financing using the standard PENNVEST funding application.
PENNVEST, in cooperation with the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency (PHFA), provides low-cost financing to improve, replace, or repair individual on-lot sewage disposal systems or to connect, for the first time, to public sewer to meet public health and environmental safety standards.
Visit the Homeowner Sewage Program webpage for more information on how to obtain financing.
What is the PENNVEST Financing Process?
The PENNVEST financing process occurs in steps.
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1
Planning consultation meeting
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2
Application submission
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3
Project ranking and review by PENNVEST, the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), and the Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED)
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4
Board approval for funding award
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5
Loan settlement
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6
Funds disbursement upon project cost accrual
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7
Final inspection
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8
Final amortization
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9
Loan closing
Services
Funding Programs
PENNVEST offers programs that provide further financing opportunities and flexibility, quicken loan turn-around time, or involve different application steps or requirements than our traditional loans.
Resources, Tools, and Training
When beginning the funding process through PENNVEST, users may seek detailed information. This area provides tools that aid the decision-making process, reports and literature, application support documents and forms, a calendar of important PENNVEST activities, as well as training opportunities to educate users on how to apply for funding.
Select the expand icon to the right of each category to view more detail.
Project and funding tools include:
- Approved Project Search Map
- Financial Assistance Simulator
- Subsidy Calculator
- County Cap Rates
Access current reporting and information on PENNVEST, such as:
- Annual Reports
- Financial Statements
- Agency Literature
Applicants may requirement supporting documents during the funding process such as:
- Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Signage Graphics
- Guidance Documents
- Letter Templates
- Terms and Conditions
The PENNVEST Calendar is a helpful resource to view important dates including:
- PENNVEST-hosted events
- Industry events in which PENNVEST is participating
- Board meeting dates
- Application cut-off dates
The PENNVEST Training Center is your go-to location for resources to educate you on PENNVEST funding and the financial assistance process. The following resources are avaliable:
- Recorded webinar trainings on a variety of PENNVEST topics
- PDF slides of previous presentations
- Details and registration links for upcoming PENNVEST-hosted events
Contact Information
PENNVEST is here to help. We've provided several options to help define the best contact method for your question or comment.
Visit the "Contact Us" page to:
- View the address and phone number of the PENNVEST Offices
- Contact the Legislative and Media Office
- Contact Project Management
- Find a contact by business process
Related Funding Sources and PENNVEST Partner Information
Visit these related sites to find additional funding opportunities to support your projects.
News
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PENNVEST Announces the Purchase of Up to $7.1 Million in Verified Nutrient and Sediment Reductions through the PENNVEST Clean Water Procurement Program
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Shapiro Administration: $257.5 Million Investment in Water Infrastructure Projects Coming to 13 Counties Across the Commonwealth
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Governor Shapiro: $274 Million Investment in Water Infrastructure Projects Coming to 22 Counties Across the Commonwealth
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PENNVEST Announces the Purchase of Up to $14.8 Million in Verified Nutrient and Sediment Reductions through the PENNVEST Clean Water Procurement Program
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Governor Shapiro: $194 Million Investment in Water Infrastructure Projects Coming to 20 Counties Across the Commonwealth
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Shapiro Administration Invests $175.7 Million in Water Infrastructure Projects Across the Commonwealth
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The Shapiro Administration Announces $116.6 Million Investment in Water Infrastructure Projects in 19 Counties
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The Shapiro Administration Announces $213.1 Million Investment in Water Infrastructure Projects in 15 Counties
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Governor Wolf Announces $236 Million Investment in Water Infrastructure Projects in 17 Counties
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Governor Wolf Announces $236 Million Investment in Water Infrastructure Projects in 15 Counties