Harrisburg, PA – Today, the Shapiro Administration announced the investment of $547.1 million for 30 drinking water, wastewater, stormwater, and non-point source projects across 23 counties through the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority (PENNVEST) — marking the largest single-round investment in PENNVEST’s history.
The projects funded will replace lead service lines, rehabilitate aging systems, upgrade treatment and service capabilities, and reduce environmental contaminants to ensure Pennsylvanians have access to clean, safe water.
“Every Pennsylvanian has a constitutional right to clean air and pure water — and my Administration is investing historic resources to make sure that right is protected all across our Commonwealth,” said Governor Josh Shapiro. “PENNVEST-funded projects help communities modernize their water systems, protect public health, and create jobs — and working together across party lines and all levels of government, we’re getting stuff done, delivering results for the good people of Pennsylvania, and building a stronger, more resilient future.”
“In just the past five years, PENNVEST has seen an 83 percent increase in demand for water infrastructure funding — a clear sign of the need for continued investment across Pennsylvania,” said Robert Boos, Executive Director of PENNVEST. “Our revolving loan model ensures these projects are sustainable for the long term — as loans are repaid, those funds are recycled to support future projects. Thanks to this structure, PENNVEST has been able to fully fund every eligible, shovel-ready application since 2015.”
With the national focus on strengthening infrastructure through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), PENNVEST has more capacity than ever to provide cost-effective financing for critical water quality projects. PENNVEST continues to adapt and expand opportunities for communities to upgrade their systems and incorporate clean energy solutions — such as solar, anaerobic digesters, and hydropower — that reduce long-term operating costs and qualify for Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) tax incentives.
PENNVEST 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), federal grants from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under the Clean Water Act and Safe Drinking Water Act, and recycled loan repayments from previous PENNVEST awards.
A full list of project summaries appears below:
Drinking Water Projects
Allegheny County
***Pittsburgh Water & Sewer Authority – received a $7,278,323 grant and a $111,901 loan for a lead service line replacement project in the City of Pittsburgh. The project will replace approximately 562 public and 482 private lead service lines, improving water quality and preventing service disruptions.
*Pittsburgh Water & Sewer Authority – received a $70,350,208 loan for a small diameter water main replacement (non-lead) in the City of Pittsburgh. The Authority intends to replace approximately 58,080 feet of aging 4-inch to 16-inch diameter pipes with new zinc-coated ductile iron pipe. Proactive replacement of aged water lines will reduce line leaks conserving water and ensuring reliable water service.
Berks County
***Western Berks Water Authority – received a $1,635,950 grant and a $39,424,050 loan for water treatment plant improvements. The project plan includes the construction of four (4) dual-media gravity filters, each with a capacity of 2.67 million-gallons-per-day; a 1.0-million-gallon baffled clear well, to work in series with existing clear wells; a service pump station with upgraded pumps, chemical rooms, and electrical systems; a 54,000-gallon backwash waste equalization tank; a polymer feed system; and site modifications for improved access, deliveries, and containment for chemical handling. Chemical system improvements include the construction of new fluoride and ammonium sulfate chemical rooms with 1,500-gallon and 4,500-gallon bulk storage tanks; upgraded day tanks and feed pumps; and installation of a sulfuric acid feed system. Electrical and supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems will also be upgraded throughout the facility. These upgrades will reduce health risks associated with pathogens and emerging contaminants like cyanotoxins and improve taste, odor, and clarity of the water being distributed. New equipment will also reduce the risk of service disruptions and ensure long-term system reliability.
Butler County
*Pennsylvania American Water Company – received a $28,500,000 loan for filter improvements at the Butler Water Treatment Plant, serving over 41,500 people across the City of Butler, and the Boroughs of East Butler, Connoquenessing, and Saxonburg. The project plans include the demolition of three (3) aging Aldrich purification units; the construction of a new treatment building and concrete tank structure; the installation of three (3) 6 million-gallons-per-day (MGD) Actiflo ballasted flocculation and sedimentation trains, and four (4) 4 MGD dual-media gravity filtration units with air scour capability to sustain a total 12.0 MGD capacity while one (1) unit is out of service; the rerouting of process piping and chemical feed lines; and electrical and control systems modifications. The treatment plant’s capacity will increase from 7.1 MGD to 12 MGD, ensuring the system can meet projected peak demand and maintain reliable treatment performance. The enhanced capacity will strengthen operational resilience, especially during equipment outages or maintenance.
Cambria County
***Highland Sewer and Water Authority – received a $6,619,251 grant and a $1,897,419 loan for improvements to the Croyle Township Water Authority (CTWA) system, which will be absorbed by the Highland Sewer and Water Authority (HSWA) upon completion of the system upgrade. The project consists of the installation of three (3) water storage tanks and three (3) pump stations, as well as all appurtenances and site work necessary to complete these installations and connection to the waterline that will be installed under the scope of work planned for two future PENNVEST applications supporting additional upgrades. The new tank installations will be located at Falcon Field, Swigle Mountain, and New Germany. The Falcon Field and Swigle Mountain sites will be developed for new tank installation. The existing New Germany tank will be dismantled and returned to HSWA for future use. A new chlorine and telecommunications building will be constructed on the New Germany tank site to allow for additional chlorination and integration of the CTWA system with HSWA’s existing communication network. A new pump station will be constructed to replace the existing Flennertown pump station; the existing Jackson Street pump station will be replaced with a new Pine Street pump station; and the New Germany pump station will be constructed at the Swigle Mountain tank site. The additional tanks and pump stations will improve water pressure conditions, longevity, and serviceability of the system.
*Jackson Township Water Authority – received a $4,477,000 loan for upgrades at the George Wyse and Whitetail Road pump stations and at the Mile Hill storage tank. Rehabilitation to the pump stations include replacing existing pumps with higher capacity pumps, and upgrading the controls, variable frequency drives (VFDs), and interior piping. Approximately 5,000 feet of 8-inch polyvinyl chloride (PVC) waterline will be installed between the George Wyse pump station and State Route 22 to replace the existing 6-inch waterline; and 25 customers currently connected to this mainline will be upgraded to a new 0.75-inch pipe. Additionally, the Mile Hill storage tank will be raised from 29 feet to 89 feet tall, involving a 13-ring expansion to increase the storage capacity to 488,000 gallons. This project will increase water storage capabilities and water pressure which will provide better fire protection.
Clinton County
*City of Lock Haven – received an $8,800,000 loan to develop a supplemental water source to bolster the City’s reservoir serving 2,897 households within 4 municipalities. The project includes the development of two groundwater wells, Matz and Quaker Hill, that will be connected to the Central Clinton County Water Filtration Authority’s water treatment plant. A well operation building will be constructed, including an emergency generator and all necessary electrical components and controls. A new well transmission line will also be constructed to interconnect to the Central Clinton County Water Filtration Authority’s water treatment plant with all required internal plant pipe connections and chemical feed injection points. A meter pressure control and monitoring facility will be installed to regulate downstream system pressure and meter water flow to the service area. This project will ensure robust and reliable delivery of water.
Columbia County
***Pennsylvania American Water Company – received a $1,087,628 grant and a $24,362,372 loan for Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) remediation and treatment at the Berwick water treatment plant serving 6,721 households within 5 municipalities throughout Columbia and Luzerne Counties. A new treatment plant will be constructed adjacent to the existing plant and will include a buried clear well, wet well, and granular-activated carbon (GAC) pressure filters designed for the removal of PFAS substances. Equipment installation will include disinfection and corrosion control systems, a sodium hypochlorite disinfection system to replace the existing chlorine gas system, new pipeline to transfer raw water from the existing four (4) wells to the new treatment plant, and new finished water transmission main to convey finished water from the new treatment plant to the existing 20-inch distribution system. Completion of this project will extend the life of the system and ensure compliance with new regulations for PFAS.
Delaware County
***Aqua Pennsylvania, Inc. – received a $3,900,704 grant and a $31,099,296 loan to minimize the presence of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in finished water via treatment at the existing Ridley water treatment plant serving 15,760 residents in Media. The PFAS treatment involves the usage of granular-activated carbon (GAC) in trains of dual vessels to adsorb the PFAS compounds. The vessels will be housed in a new brick building and include a new electrical room for pump starters and variable frequency drives. The project also includes a low lift pump station with four (4) vertical turbine pumps to push water through the treatment vessels, and a 100,000-gallon waste equalization tank with two submersible transfer pumps to facilitate media rinses and backwashes. The project will address health and safety concerns associated with Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) and Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) contamination.
Erie County
***Erie City Water Authority – received a $9,629,116 grant and a $370,884 loan for Phase 4 of a lead service line replacement project within the City of Erie. The Authority will replace approximately 1,000 service connections consisting of galvanized pipe formerly attached to, and located downstream of, water mains containing lead goosenecks and other lead components. The Authority previously removed lead components from the public side of the service line over the prior decades in advance of street paving projects or routine leak repairs. This project will support the replacement of the remaining portion of downstream private-side service lines. Removal of all galvanized and leaded water service lines will directly improve the water quality for the system’s customers and is consistent with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP) initiatives to remove lead-containing lines from the public water supply.
Fayette County
*Borough of Masontown – received a $975,223 grant and a $3,523,749 loan for a water meter relocation project. Approximately 1,225 existing water meters will be removed and placed in newly installed exterior meter pits. Additionally, 337 Migratable MXU radio transceivers and one (1) Sensus Flex Read Command Link wireless interface will be connected. The intention of the project is to reduce existing water losses experienced by the Borough to create decreased purchase costs and stabilized user rates.
***Pennsylvania American Water Company – received a $2,988,661 grant and a $2,411,339 loan for a lead service line replacement project in the City of Uniontown, North Union, and South Union Townships. The project includes the complete replacement of 389 utility-owned/private-owned lead and galvanized lead impacted water service lines. The replacement process includes excavating an approximate 5-foot by 5-foot pit at the existing water main and a 5-foot by 5-foot pit at the curb box on the private property side of the roadway curb line. Project components include ¾-inch type k copper service line replacement piping installed via trenched access pits and trenchless installations, restoration, traffic control, and erosion and sediment control. The project will increase the drinking water reliability in the distribution system and will reduce exposure to lead.
Lancaster County
*Chester Water Authority – received a $19,277,386 loan for improvements to the Susquehanna booster station in Fulton Township. Improvements include the replacement of three (3) existing constant feed pumps with 1,500 horsepower vertical turbine pumps with new variable frequency drives (VFDs), along with the existing generator, chemical building, and control system equipment. Also included in the project is the removal of an existing variable speed pump, switchgear equipment and transformer, the hydraulic system on discharge valves to be replaced with combination electrical and individual hydraulic actuators capable of the necessary valve closing times during an emergency pump stop, and all unnecessary bypass and backflush piping. A new backup generator will also be installed. These improvements will provide increased station functionality and reliability with additional flow control, reduced maintenance, and improved emergency power systems.
Monroe County
***Pennsylvania American Water Company – received a $562,434 grant and a $4,484,137 loan for Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) remediation and treatment at the Pine Hill well station and treatment facility in Mount Pocono Borough. The project will include the demolition of the wellhouse and construction of a new treatment facility at the existing Pine Hill well station site, disposal of process wastewater, and other related work to address PFAS, iron, and manganese in the raw water. The new treatment facility will include granular-activated carbon (GAC) adsorbers and green sand filters. New concrete tanks will be utilized for holding backwash waste and filter systems. Chemical feed system improvements include sodium hypochlorite for oxidation and disinfection, sodium hydroxide for pH adjustment, polymer to assist with manganese and iron settling in the backwash waste tank, and zinc orthophosphate for corrosion control. New 4-inch ductile pipe will be installed for raw water flow to the treatment building. The existing submersible well pump will be replaced to deliver flow through the proposed filtration and PFAS treatment system. The project will remove PFAS as well as limit iron and manganese from the drinking water system.
Philadelphia County
*City of Philadelphia – received a $47,650,000 loan for the construction of a new pump station at George’s Hill Reservoir. The new 8,500-square-foot pump station will have the capacity to meet the typical peak daily demand of the Belmont High Service Pressure District at 21 million-gallons per day (MGD) and will include the installation of six (6) pumps, redundant feed systems, standby generator, and on-site stormwater management. Because the construction of the new pump station will alter hydraulic conditions within the existing Belmont High pump station, pump replacements are necessary to ensure coordinated operation of both stations. Upgrades to the existing Belmont station will include replacement of the pumps and interior modifications. The construction of the new George’s Hill pump station will ensure continued service of the public drinking water system during emergencies, and the upgrades to the existing Belmont station will improve the facility’s operations.
Wastewater Projects
Cambria County
**Central Mainline Sewer Authority – received a $2,299,000 loan for improvements at the sewage treatment plant servicing 564 customers. The existing belt filter sludge press will be replaced with a new rotary sludge press and the existing debris basket at the influent pump station will be replaced with a dual auger screening system. In addition, this project will include the installation of a new polymer feeder, flocculator, air compressor, distribution conveyor, control panel, and incline conveyor. The upgraded screening system and press replacement will eliminate debris from entering the pump station and extend the life of the pumps.
Dauphin County
**Derry Township Municipal Authority – received an $8,550,000 loan to construct a new pump station adjacent to the location of the existing High Meadow pump station. The new pump station will include a submersible style system with increased pumping capacity and wet well volume. This project will also include a new emergency generator with an outdoor enclosure located on an elevated mezzanine or adjacent to the structure, out of the floodplain; 3,800 feet of 16-inch diameter force main, and a new access road located above the flood plain providing entry to the station during flood events. The new station will be designed with a pumping capacity of 3,050 gallons -per-minute compared to its current rated capacity of 1,600 gallons-per-minute. The project will eliminate hydraulic overloads, ensure untreated or inadequately treated sewage will not enter Swatara Creek during wet weather events, and reduce inflow and infiltration into the system.
Erie County
**Millcreek Township Supervisors – received a $3,758,976 loan for improvements at the Kearsarge pump station serving 23,934 customers in Millcreek Township, five residential customers in McKean Township, as well as bulk service customers from the Fairview Township Sewer Authority, Summit Township Sewer Authority, and Township of Greene. The project will include installation of 6,970 feet of new sanitary sewer force main, mostly consisting of 16-inch C-900 polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipe via open trench installation. A portion of the project will include a 470-foot bore with 30-inch casing pipe underneath the Raymond P. Shafer Highway (Interstate 79). Inclusion of miscellaneous valves, fittings, select backfill, and pavement restoration are also planned. These upgrades to critical infrastructure at the end of useful life will ensure the system’s statutory and regulatory compliance.
Franklin County
**Hamilton Township Municipal Authority – received a $2,888,000 loan for replacement of the Commerce Street Interceptor. The project involves the replacement and upgrade of approximately 3,300 feet of existing sanitary sewer interceptor pipe and associated manholes in the Commerce Drainage Basin through open-cut trench construction. Approximately 88 feet of existing pipe will be upgraded to 18-inch pipe, and the remainder of the interceptor will be replaced and upgraded to 21-inch pipe. Approximately 16 new or replacement sanitary sewer manholes will be installed, and approximately six (6) existing manholes will be removed or abandoned. Two (2) sanitary sewer laterals will be addressed, and the existing concrete block metering chamber will be replaced with a new precast chamber. The project will eliminate discharge of raw sewage to public property, ensure untreated or inadequately treated sewage will not enter area streams during wet weather events, and reduce inflow and infiltration into the system.
Jefferson County
Timblin Borough – received an $820,000 loan under the Advance Funding program for design of a new public sewage system to support approximately 55 households in Timblin Borough and five (5) households in a small portion of Ringgold Township. This project will support final design work for the installation of a 17,000 gallons-per-day recirculating sand filter wastewater treatment plant, approximately 11,000 feet of new gravity sewer collection lines, and approximately 530 feet of force main sewer lines. The final project will remedy septic system malfunctions experienced by a large portion of the community and eliminate wildcat sewage discharges into Eagle Run and Pine Run tributaries.
Lancaster County
**Lancaster Area Sewer Authority – received a $160,000,000 loan for upgrades to the Blue Rock Water Resource Recovery Facility (BRWRRF). The project will consist of the construction of a second aeration tank, an electrical building, a 4th final clarifier, a waste-activated sludge-thickening facility, a new trucked waste receiving facility, a trucked waste administration building, two (2) holding tanks, submersible chopper pumps, screening equipment, force main discharge piping, new electric, potable and utility water, and an enclosure for the receiving area. The existing chemical storage building, and pumping station, the mechanisms of primary clarifiers 1 and 2 and the gravity thickener will all be replaced. The existing aeration tank will be modified, and one train of the tank will be converted into a side stream treatment system. Additionally, site work, supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system upgrades, and yard piping are also planned. The project will bring the system into compliance with nutrient reduction requirements by removing nutrients from the effluent that flows into the Susquehanna River Basin watershed.
Lawrence County
**Taylor Township Board of Supervisors – received a $7,335,000 grant for the expansion and upgrades at the sewage treatment plant serving 485 residential customers in Taylor Township. Installation will include a permanent flow meter and digital recording system, a new aerobic digester, and ultraviolet disinfection system. The existing aeration tanks will be converted to Sequencing Batch Reactor (SBR) treatment tanks. Sewage sludge will be removed from the existing outfall channel, and an appropriate sludge removal schedule will be established for a new 18-inch outfall channel. The existing comminutor and chlorine contact tank will be abandoned. Additionally, miscellaneous electrical upgrades and administrative building modifications are also planned. Following all upgrades, the plant’s existing hydraulic capacity will be increased from 0.2 million-gallons-per-day (MGD) to 0.375 MGD. This project will satisfy the terms of a Consent Order and Agreement with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP) and ensure compliance with an operating permit issued by the PADEP.
Mercer County
**Upper Shenango Valley Water Pollution Control Authority – received a $5,105,268 loan to upgrade an existing gravity sewer line along the Shenango River in the City of Hermitage and South Pymatuning Township. This project will include the construction of a 4,900-foot driveway with a stormwater conveyance system for permanent access to the sewer line. Approximately 1,620 feet of temporary timber and geo-matting will be installed in a portion of the work area. Following the completion of the access driveway, approximately 2,400 feet of 24-inch diameter cured-in-place pipe (CIPP) liner and 4,100 feet of 36-inch diameter CIPP liner will be installed. Rehabilitation of 32 manholes and various erosion and sedimentation controls will take place, and post-construction stormwater facilities management, as well as bypass pumping of wastewater during construction are also planned. Through this project, critical infrastructure that is at the end of useful life will be upgraded to ensure the system’s statutory and regulatory compliance.
Schuylkill County
**Pine Grove Joint Treatment Authority – received a $1,627,000 loan for upgrades to the wastewater treatment facility and collection system. The project will include rehabilitation of ten (10) of the Authority’s thirteen (13) pump stations. Each station will be upgraded with new pumps, controls, and rails. Repairing cracks and lining each wet well with a polyurethane structural liner is also planned. The former wastewater treatment facility and current site of Pump Station #1 will undergo rehabilitation. This portion of the project will involve the removal of abandoned electrical components and the relocation of the main electrical service out of the floodplain. Additionally, approximately 330 feet of gravity sewer and two (2) manholes located along Orchard Street in Pine Grove Borough will be replaced, and laterals with cleanouts will be installed. This project will eliminate inflow and infiltration from a section of gravity main, reducing flows to the treatment plant.
Snyder County
**Perry Township Municipal Authority – received a $5,889,303 grant for a complete replacement of the wastewater treatment plant and extension of the collection system. The new system will have greater capacity and will consist of all new treatment equipment including an influent pump station, a headworks and screening system, an ultraviolet disinfection system, and aerobic sludge digestion and post equalization equipment. An emergency generator will be installed at the treatment plant to mitigate disruption during power outages. A new building will also be constructed to house system blowers and electrical components, with space for a meeting room, storage, and on-site lab testing. At the completion of this project, the wastewater treatment plant will serve an additional 52 dwelling units that are currently utilizing on-lot sewer systems.
Somerset County
***Municipal Authority of the Borough of Somerset – received a $17,000,000 grant for sewer system improvements. The project will include the replacement or rehabilitation of approximately 40,000 feet of sanitary sewer piping and 200 sanitary sewer manholes, installation of 6,000 feet of stormwater pipe, and installation or replacement of 100 stormwater drainage basins (inlets). This project will reduce downstream wet weather sewage overflows, diminish energy consumption, and ensure the system’s statutory and regulatory compliance.
Wyoming County
**The Lake Winola Municipal Authority – received a $3,236,756 grant and a $3,484,944 loan for upgrades to the wastewater treatment plant. Rehabilitation of two lagoons will include installation of new lagoon liners, the removal, cleaning and reassembling of the aeration system, and repairs to or replacement of the lagoon's underdrain and leak detection system. The project also includes installation of an ammonia treatment system, new electrical and metals treatment systems, a new emergency generator, a supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system, a new effluent pump station and meter, and the replacement of the existing chlorine disinfection system with an ultraviolet disinfection system. The project will eliminate the potential discharge of inadequately treated sewage into Beaver Creek, a tributary to the Susquehanna River.
York County
**Dallastown Borough – received a $2,120,000 loan for a Colonial Park sewer extension project. The project will include the construction of approximately 5,146 feet of low-pressure sewer mains ranging in size from 1 ½ to 4 inches, 79 simplex grinder pumps, and related 1 ½-inch low-pressure sewer laterals, within Kirsta Lane, Carrie Drive, Colonial Drive, April Lane, and Maylyn Avenue. The points of connection from the new low-pressure sewer extension to the Borough’s system will occur at South Park Street, via cored connection to an existing sanitary sewer manhole. Flow from the Colonial Park area will be conveyed through the York Township Mill Creek Interceptor with ultimate treatment at the Springettsbury wastewater treatment plant. At the completion of this project, the wastewater treatment plant will serve residents currently utilizing aging on-lot sewer systems.
Stormwater Projects
Mercer County
Borough of Greenville – received a $621,148 loan to address flooding in the Lebanon and Lancaster Avenue areas of the Borough of Greenville. The project will include the installation of approximately 1,332 feet of 12-inch high-density polyethylene (HDPE) storm sewer pipe, 12 inlets, and stormwater detention units along Lancaster and Lebanon Avenues, with a connection between the two along York Avenue. An additional 216 feet of 15-inch HDPE storm sewer will be installed at the downstream connection. This project will reduce the risk of flooding for roughly 75 households that live along Lebanon and Lancaster Avenues.
Non-Point Source Projects
Clarion County
**Nexgen Dairy, Inc. – received a $966,000 loan for installation of agricultural best management practices (BMPs) at two farms in east central Redbank Township. The project has been designed in two phases – Phase 1 at the main dairy farm and Phase 2 at the satellite farm on Macadam Road. At the main dairy farm, a 121-foot-wide by 14-foot-deep, liquid manure storage facility will be constructed for manure, livestock bedding, and wastewater. At the Macadam Road farm, a 96-foot-long by 42-foot-wide roofed animal heavy-use-area (HUA) and a 32-foot-long by 42-foot-wide roofed manure-stacking area will be constructed. Concrete slabs and walls will be installed under the roof to facilitate manure collection. Roof runoff structures on the new facility will mitigate stormwater runoff into the pastures to the south of the new facility. The project will reduce sediment and manure from reaching Pine Creek and Nelson Run, the former of which is directly impaired due to agricultural activities. A high-water quality benefit is anticipated based on an estimated reduction of 8,200 pounds of nitrogen, 1,373 pounds of phosphorus, and 2,000 pounds of miscellaneous sediment due to the implementation of these BMPs.
*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.