Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority (PENNVEST) is allocating $284.2 million in grants and loans for improving drinking water, modernization of wastewater systems, stormwater mitigation, contaminant removal and lead pipe replacement. The work is spread among 33 projects in 20 counties.
The largest of the investments is in Allegheny County, where the Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority received a nearly $53.9 million loan to strengthen and modernize several community sewer systems. The work includes using trenchless methods to rehabilitate cracked mains and root intrusion, and other maintenance to ensure proper flow of storm runoff.
Another major investment targets drinking water treatment in Bucks County, where the Doylestown Township Municipal Authority received about $4.4 million for PFAS treatment upgrades, including installation of carbon filtration systems at existing well sites.
In Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania American Water Co. was awarded nearly $16.9 million to rehabilitate Griffin Dam. The work will upgrade outlet structures, increase spillway capacity and bring the high-hazard dam into compliance with modern safety standards.
Beyond those larger awards, a significant share of funding is focused on replacing aging distribution infrastructure and addressing lead exposure. Projects in Allegheny, Erie, Lehigh and Lawrence counties include thousands of service line replacements, often using trenchless installation methods to limit disruption. Other efforts center on new wells, storage tanks and transmission lines to improve system redundancy and reduce water loss.
On the wastewater side, investments emphasize reducing inflow and infiltration and improving treatment capacity. In Allegheny County, for example, additional funding will support rehabilitation of sewer mains using trenchless lining methods to limit storm-driven overflows, while projects in Bedford and Somerset counties include major treatment plant upgrades and systemwide pipe replacement.
Smaller stormwater and non-point source projects round out the package, with work such as catch basin replacements, drainage improvements and streambank restoration to reduce localized flooding and sediment runoff.
PENNVEST pulls funding from voter-approved state funds, federal EPA funding, federal IIJA funds, and repayments from previous PENNVEST loans.
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