Harrisburg, PA – Today, Governor Josh Shapiro announced the investment of $194.3 million for 28 drinking water, wastewater, stormwater, and non-point source projects across 20 counties through the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority (PENNVEST). The projects include replacing lead or other corrosive pipes, rehabilitating aging systems, upgrading service capabilities, extending service to more communities, and reducing environmental contaminants through the compliance with current regulatory levels and agricultural Best Management Practices (BMP’s).
The Shapiro Administration is committed to ensuring every community in the Commonwealth has access to clean drinking water to safeguard public health and advance environmental justice – and these projects will help ensure more Pennsylvanians have that access.
“Thanks to our federal partners and the Biden Administration, we are making a major investment in Pennsylvanians’ communities, ensuring that our residents have access to pure water and upholding their constitutional rights here in the Commonwealth,” said Governor Josh Shapiro. “Ensuring that Pennsylvania’s citizens have access to safe and secure infrastructure is a fundamental responsibility of government. My Administration will continue to lead the way to protect public health and the environment across the Commonwealth.”
The funding for these projects originates from a combination of state funds approved by voters, Growing Greener funds, Marcellus Legacy funds, the Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act (IIJA) stimulus funds, the federal grant awards to PENNVEST from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under the Clean Water Act and the Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments, and the recycled loan repayments from previous PENNVEST funding awards.
These investments can help to not only modernize, but futurize, Pennsylvania water infrastructure to ensure it operates efficiently, effectively, and provides clean water for Pennsylvanians.
“This is a historic moment for Pennsylvania’s water and sewer systems, as the federal funding for water projects will help us make meaningful investments in communities across the Commonwealth,” said PENNVEST Chairman Dr. Brian Regli. “As part of the Shapiro Administration’s commitment to increase every Pennsylvanian’s access to clean air and pure water, PENNVEST’s goal is to reach every potential entity who may be unaware this financial assistance exists and assist them in accessing available funding through the application process.”
A list of project summaries follows:
Drinking Water Projects
Allegheny County
- ***Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority – received a $13,779,719 grant and an $18,278,381 loan to replace approximately 1,375 public and 1,260 private lead service lines in the areas of Millvale Borough, Mount Washington, South Side Slopes, Garfield, Upper Lawrenceville, Central Northside, Manchester, Perry North, Perry South, and Spring Hill. A portion of the project encompasses federally disadvantaged communities. The project will eliminate high lead exposure levels to citizens in high-priority areas and conserve water in these communities as residents are currently required to flush their systems each morning prior to use.
Armstrong County
- ***Ford City Borough – received a $9,554,500 grant and a $4,770,500 loan to replace cast iron pipe containing lead joints with approximately 45,050 feet of C900 plastic water main, as well as install water service lines, 70 fire hydrants, blow-off assemblies, and other associated appurtenances. Removal of the cast iron piping, lead joints, and lead gooseneck service connections will eliminate health risks to the community that are associated with potential lead exposure. The new gasketed joints will also eliminate leakage in the pipes resulting in less water loss.
- ***Ford City Borough – received a $2,407,081 grant and a $3,192,919 loan to replace approximately 1,245 existing leaded gooseneck or galvanized steel service connections with plastic piping. Of the 1,245 services to be replaced, 1,225 are for residential users while the remaining 20 services are for commercial/industrial users. Removal of any existing leaded gooseneck connections and galvanized or brass service lines will result in safer drinking water throughout the Borough.
Blair County
- ***Bellwood Borough Authority – received a $3,437,176 grant and a $2,410,569 loan for Phase III of a project to replace the existing cast iron water distribution main containing leaded joints with approximately 19,610 feet of 3” to 8” ductile iron water distribution main lines and associated valves, 21 fire hydrants, service connections and appurtenances. All phases of this project will decrease potential lead contamination in the system and reduce water loss due to pipe leakage.
- ***Bellwood Borough Authority – received a $211,101 grant and a $280,019 loan to replace approximately 40 existing lead or galvanized service connections with copper piping. The project will eliminate the risk of lead contamination in the community’s water supply.
Franklin County
- Washington Township Municipal Authority – received an $8,400,000 loan to
construct and relocate a booster pumping station from the Green Ridge tank to the much larger Pine Hill tank. The new booster pump station will be a variable speed packaged pump system with vertical multi-stage pumps capable of pumping at 350 gallons-per-minute. Additional installations will include concrete pads, booster pumps, motors, and new ductile iron, PVC, and copper piping. This project will create improved service reliability, water availability, and fire protection for the system’s customers.
Greene County
- Southwestern Pennsylvania Water Authority (SPWA) – received an $894,697 grant and a $1,084,303 loan to extend the Authority’s water distribution system to serve the Brave Water and Sewer Authority (BWSA) system located in Wayne Township. The BWSA serves approximately 200 residents through 85 service connections and currently purchases its water from the Clay-Battelle Public Service District in West Virginia. The time it takes this purchased water to flow to BWSA’s consumers, raises the concentration levels of disinfection by-products, including Trihalomethanes (TTHMs), which are regulated by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. The project involves the SPWA extending approximately 23,455 feet of 8” water main, and installing valves, fittings, fire hydrants, an automatic meter reading unit, service connections, and restorations to connect and service the existing BWSA water distribution system. The project will not only bring BWSA’s water into compliance with TTHM levels but will also decrease health risks due to long-term consumption of water with high levels of TTHM for the residents of the Village of Brave.
Mercer County
- Sandy Lake Borough – received a $4,245,927 grant and a $4,144,073 loan for improvements to its drinking water distribution system. Approximately 19,000 feet of existing service lines will be replaced. Additionally, 22,000 feet of new main waterline will be installed along with 300 new residential service meters and 30 new hydrants. This project will benefit approximately 300 customers by reducing potential water outages due to waterline breakages and ensure water quality and conservation.
Northampton County
- ***Easton Suburban Water Authority – received a $1,102,099 grant and a $2,190,901 loan to replace up to an estimated 195 lead or galvanized steel lines in the North South Side and West South Side areas in the City of Easton. This project will reduce unaccounted-for water loss and potential health impacts related to elevated lead levels for the citizens in these areas.
Venango County
- General Authority of the City of Franklin – received a $3,680,000 loan to replace cast iron waterlines with lead joints that are reaching the end of service life in the areas of Allegheny Boulevard and Front Street in Sugarcreek Borough. The Authority intends to replace approximately 7,550 water lines with 4,900 feet of C900 PVC lines and 2,650 feet of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) lines. In addition, approximately 1,600 feet of service laterals will be replaced. This project will decrease potential lead contamination and increase water flow capacity to residents.
Warren County
- North Warren Municipal Authority – received a $3,196,500 loan to upgrade the capability of the Hillcrest Development’s booster pump station. Included in the project is the installation of approximately 4,450 feet of new 8” C900 PVC water main. Additionally, another 4,650 feet of 8” water main and 1,950 feet of 6” water main will be replaced with new C900 PVC waterline, as well as the installation of 14 new fire hydrants within the development. Lastly, a pressure-reducing valve vault will be installed where the new Hillcrest main connects to the existing system. This project will increase the system’s ability to provide fire protection and reduce water loss due to pipe leakage.
Wastewater Projects
Chester County
- **Northwestern Chester County Municipal Authority – received a $12,600,000 loan to make system upgrades for improved nitrification and aeration and to replace equipment that is approaching the end of useful life. Nitrification upgrades include demolition of Tertiary Lagoon 2, demolition of the current Bio-Bloc System located in Tertiary Lagoons 1 and 2, and installation of 1 aerated moving bed biofilm reactor system, three -125-HP Turbo Blowers, and 1 blower/electrical building. Aeration upgrades include demolition of 10 existing surface aerators, and the installation of 33 fine bubble diffuser aerators in Primary Lagoons 1 and 2 and Tertiary Lagoon 1. The replacement of end-of-life equipment includes vertical dry pit submersible lagoon pumps, Daft Tank skimmer arm assemblies, saturation tank and air compressor assemblies, chemical mixer assembly, process water tank, and exterior epoxy painting of the sludge holding tank. This project will bring the Authority into ammonia-nitrogen (NH3-N) effluent concentration compliance for effluent that flows into the West Branch Brandywine Creek.
Clearfield County
- Curwensville Municipal Authority – received a $970,740 grant and a $1,754,360 loan for Phase II (B) of a larger project. This phase includes slip-lining of 2,300 feet of 8” clay sewer mains, the replacement of 10 brick manholes with concrete versions, 400 feet of laterals, and 650 feet of 4” sewer force main, and upgrades to valves, piping, controls, and other appurtenances at the wastewater treatment plant. Security upgrades will also be made to the treatment facility by updating the remote pumping station alarm systems and installing new doors and windows in the control building. This project will reduce sewer overflows and excess inflow and infiltration during wet weather events.
Erie County
- North East Township Water and Sewer Authority – received a $2,441,314 loan to expand wastewater service to 112 homes, developable lots, and 2 businesses between Chase Road and the NY state line as well as for the new Edgewater Development, planning construction for another 20 large homes. The project will include the construction and installation of various-sized SDR=11 HDPE low-pressure sewer pipes: 3,587 feet of 2”, 4,969 feet of 3” and 8,600 feet of 4”. In addition, 114 feet of 1-¼” HPDE service lateral connections will be installed, including curb shut off valve and box, mainline corporation stop and check valve, 13 air release/vacuum valves in manholes, 22 flushing/cleanout connections and 1 discharge connection. This project will eliminate approximately 17 small flow treatment systems, some of which are suspected of failure.
Indiana County
- Central Indiana County Joint Sanitary Authority – received a $2,000,000 loan for upgrades to the operating equipment at the Homer City Sewage Treatment Plant. Screen removal equipment will be upgraded to include 2 dual auger systems, discharge chute, above grade discharge, heat trace and blanket, weatherproof controls, 2 Sanitaire decanters, local control boxes, VFD’s, level transducers, storm floats, SBR System control panel, 2 fine bubble aeration grids, air control valves, dissolved oxygen probes, waste sludge pumps, and the replacement of the pump impellers and motors with larger units to convey greater flow to the plant. The project will provide continued and reliable wastewater service to the community and allow for regulatory compliance.
Lancaster County
- **Elizabethtown Borough – received a $9,898,000 loan for improvements to the Radio Road Interceptor. The project will include the replacement of approximately 11,400 feet of deteriorated, hydraulically limited, sewer main from Radio Road to its connection with the Conoy Interceptor. This project will reduce inflow and infiltration throughout the sewer collection system and provide adequate hydraulic capacity for existing and future flows.
Philadelphia County
- **City of Philadelphia – received a $37,070,670 loan to install a new channel air mixing system that has reached the end of useful life. The project includes replacement and installation of a new channel air mixing system with blowers, piping, valves, channel air diffuser assemblies, instrumentation, and controls, and new HVAC, and electrical systems within the existing compressor building. This project will correct leakage issues, increase hydraulic capacity of the channels, decrease operations and maintenance requirements for channel cleaning and eliminate the potential for odor emissions.
Potter County
- ***Shinglehouse Borough – received a $9,496,807 grant and a $5,995,193 loan to update the treatment plant’s aging equipment that has reached the end of useful life. This project is Phase II of a larger project and will include the construction of a new headworks building to house screening equipment that was installed in Phase I as well as a new mechanically induced vortex tank type grit removal system. During Phase I, two new dry-pit submersible pumps were installed, and during Phase II, wastewater will now be conveyed to the new grit removal system within the headworks building. Chemical addition, biological treatment, disinfection, aerobic digestion, and final clarification processes will also be upgraded during this phase. This project will ensure the system is capable of meeting current effluent limitations.
Tioga County
- ***Wellsboro Municipal Authority – received a $1,024,000 grant and a $108,100 loan to replace their current Chlorine Gas Disinfection System with a new Ultraviolet Disinfection System. This project will bring the Authority into compliance with the new NPDES permit chlorine concentration discharge levels. This conversion would also improve the safety of employees, the community, and Marsh Creek by reducing the potential for chlorine leaks.
Venango County
- French Creek Township – received a $3,193,890 grant and a $1,594,689 loan to update the aging wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) process units and equipment. The treatment plant project will include the relocation of the treatment units to a new site adjacent to the existing WWTP on the same tract of land, the construction of a 0.450 MGD Treatment Plant, construction of a new headworks facility with two band screens, 1 main channel and 1 bypass channel, influent flow metering, influent flow sampling equipment and the necessary control equipment. Also included in the project is the construction of 2 new aerobic digesters, digester control and equipment building, the replacement of the trickling filter process with a three-tank, sequencing batch reactor process with control building and two-channel ultraviolet effluent disinfection systems, a new emergency generator, and the installation of a reed bed. This project will allow the plant to continue to meet DEP standards, improve plant efficiency and effluent quality, allow for an uninterrupted treatment process during a power failure, eliminate the risk of damage and process failure in the event of a flood, and eliminate the loss of methane and other gaseous pollutants into the atmosphere.
- Polk Borough – received a $1,584,704 grant and a $791,232 loan to provide a capital contribution towards the new wastewater treatment facility project taking place in French Creek Township. This wastewater treatment plant provides service to the community of Polk Borough. This project will allow the plant to continue to meet DEP standards, improve plant efficiency and effluent quality, allow for an uninterrupted treatment process during a power failure, eliminate the risk of damage and process failure in the event of a flood, and eliminate the loss of methane and other gaseous pollutants into the atmosphere.
Westmoreland County
- Kiski Vallely Water Pollution Control Authority – received a $2,205,000 loan to improve the processing capabilities of the treatment facility through the conversion of 2 existing concrete holding tanks into digester tanks and the replacement of the existing bed filter press. The digester conversion consists of installing an Enviromix Biocycle-D System consisting of air header supply piping, nozzle headers, nozzles, an air compressor and header, positive displacement blower, aeration piping and fine bubble diffusers and a control system including monitoring probes and control panel. These improvements will increase the efficiency of the sludge digestion process and reduce sludge processing costs by an estimated $50,000 annually.
Stormwater Projects
Cambria County
- Ebensburg Municipal Authority – received a $3,389,310 loan to install a new stormwater collection and conveyance system and replace deteriorated culvert pipes. Included in this project is the installation of approximately 5,515 feet of 15” to 60” thermoplastic stormwater pipe, inserts, manholes and end walls in the Area C drainage section. This project will result in controlled runoff with will decrease flooding, ponding, and erosion, and protect the area from the potential of structural damage and injury to occupants caused by culvert collapse.
Mercer County
- Borough of Greenville – received a $797,674 loan to increase stormwater capacity around North Third Street. The project will include the installation of 2 small retention ponds, 710 feet of 36” HDPE pipe, 4 manholes, and the replacement of 3 old brick inlets with new inlets. The replacement of corroded metal stormwater piping is anticipated to prevent additional sinkholes from forming on this street. The overall project should also control the peaks of flooding events for this area.
Northampton County
- **Bethlehem Township Municipal Authority – received a $4,354,000 loan to construct a new storm sewer system around Walnut and Turner Streets. The project includes the installation of approximately 3,619 feet of new storm sewer with 55 inlets, the replacement of existing culverts, and a full roadway reconstruction with vertical curbing to help capture runoff before it reaches a low area of residential properties. The potential for property damage will be reduced, and sediment pollution to Nancy Run will be minimized.
Non-Point Source Projects
Lancaster County
- **Elizabethtown Borough – received a $3,365,000 loan for a Conoy Creek floodplain restoration project at Hickory Lane Park. The goal of the project is to restore approximately 2,860 feet of Conoy Creek by removing accumulated legacy sediment and stabilize the floodplain. The resulting reduction of sediment loading in the Conoy Creek Watershed is expected to be 589,001 pounds per year and will taper on-site bank erosion as well as significantly improve the aquatic and terrestrial habitat.
- **Lancaster County Conservation District – received a $1,063,922 grant to improve agricultural practices at the Elam Beiler Dairy Farm to correct impairments of Coopers Run, a designated trout stocking stream. The project includes the installation of a new roofed heavy-use area (HUA) with roof gutters, a 400 sq. ft. concrete entrance pad, the replacement of 1,615 sq. ft. of concrete in the existing storage area, the creation of a 12’ x 72’ round concrete waste storage facility, the creation of an under-house storage area under the HUA for liquid manure storage, the installation of a timber roof structure over the HUA, gravity transfer pipe of approximately 60 feet from the reception pit to the proposed round waste storage facility, a silo drain collection system, construction of an access road, and closure of the existing waste storage facility. Projects planned at the stream site include installation of a stabilized stream crossing, establishing riparian buffers, and seeding and mulching of any disturbed ground. Benefits of this project include increasing the farm’s manure storage capabilities from one month to over six months which enables the farmer to manage nutrients at the best time of year for the crops and soil. The stream will become more stabilized and will filter pollutants more efficiently during heavy rains which will benefit the connecting waterways of the Octoraro Creek, the Susquehanna River, and the Chesapeake Bay.
Mifflin County
- Leon E. Groff – received a $1,347,000 loan to improve agricultural practices through the construction of 2 new manure storage facilities. Project construction includes a 280 ft. x 116 ft. x 10 ft. under-barn liquid manure storage facility, as well as a 38 ft. x 48 ft. dry waste storage facility. Earthen pit decommissioning is also part of the scope of work. The project will eliminate the current direct flow of manure into Spring Run by directing it into a storage facility. CAST model reductions for this project anticipate the annual nitrogen reduction of 3,973 pounds per year but cannot depict the specific conditions on this farm. The elimination of the direct loading of manure to Spring Run via a stormwater pipe is likely much greater.
*Denotes projects that are funded by Drinking Water State Revolving Funds (DWSRF).
**Denotes projects that are funded by Clean Water State Revolving Funds (CWSRF).
***Denotes projects that are funded by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA).
For projects noted above as funded with DWSRF, CWSRF, and IIJA federal funds, the use of the word ‘grant’ within this release is defined as a principal forgiveness loan, which is the functional equivalent of a grant in that it does not require repayment. For those same projects with loan terms extending beyond 20 years, the use of the word ‘loan’ equates to a bond purchase.
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