Lillian VestPennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro announced last month a $222 million investment for various water infrastructure projects.
The investment will support drinking water, wastewater and stormwater projects across 21 counties, according to a July release. The funding is sourced from the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority (PENNVEST), a financial agency that supports water projects throughout the state.
According to the release, the awarded projects will conduct a variety of infrastructure work, including replacing lead lines, fixing old systems, upgrading services and lowering pollutants in drinking water to meet regulations.
Among the largest awardees, the Pennsylvania American Water Company in Butler County will receive about a $25 million loan for improvements at the Fisher, Brewster and Brewster Booster pump stations in Center Township and the Greenwood, Benbrook and Bryson pump stations in Butler Township. Improvements include the construction of new wet walls, underground equalization tanks and other initiatives seeking to decrease wet weather sanitary sewer overflow events.
The PENNVEST investment will award a $14 million loan and a $11 million grant to the Pittsburgh Water & Sewer Authority in Allegheny County. The funding will go toward a lead service line replacement project in the areas of Allegheny Center, East Allegheny, Troy Hill, East Liberty, Greenfield, Larimer, Lower Lawrenceville, Morningside, Point Breeze, Point Breeze North, Polish Hill, Bedford Dwellings, Strip District, Squirrel Hill North, Squirrel Hill South and Stanton Heights.
The Delaware County Regional Water Quality Control Authority will secure a $20 million loan for upgrades to the Western Regional Treatment Plant. The project includes the demolition and reconstruction of a 175-foot diameter final clarifier.
Cambria County will receive a total of over $26 million in grants and loans to the East Taylor Municipal Authority and the Municipal Authority of the Borough of Portage. The East Taylor Municipal Authority will receive an over $1 million grant and a $8.7 million loan for a waterline replacement project. The project includes the installation of 22,000 feet of new 2-inch plastic water main distribution line, new customer water service pipes and 162 new water meters.
The Municipal Authority of the Borough of Portage will receive a $4.7 grant and an $11.8 loan for a waterline and meter replacement project. The project will include the installation of 34,500 feet of water main lines, about 15,750 feet of service lines, 24 fire hydrants and roughly 580-meter pits.
Erie County will receive funding for multiple projects totaling about $19 million. The Erie City Water Authority will receive a $12 million loan under the Programmatic Financing Funding Program for seven projects in the Erie Water Works Capital Improvement Plan. The Sigsbee pump station upgrade project is shovel-ready and includes the replacement of soft starters with variable frequency drives, three pumps, electrical gear, roof and windows. Future projects include water main replacements on Kuntz Road, McClelland Avenue and the Frontier area.
The authority also secured a $3.4 million grant and a $3 million loan for Phase 3 of its galvanized service line replacement project. The project will include the replacement of about 860 galvanized customer-side service lines in the city of Erie.
This investment marks the third PENNVEST investment toward water infrastructure projects announced this year.
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