Pennsylvania Governor Rendell Announces $129 Million Investment in Water Infrastructure Projects in 33 Counties

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HARRISBURG, Pa., July 21 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Governor Edward G. Rendell today announced the investment of $129 million in 41 drinking water and wastewater projects serving communities in 33 counties.  

"We remain committed to cleaning Pennsylvania's waterways, protecting the public's health and building a solid foundation for our economic future," Governor Rendell said. "The grants and loans provided through PENNVEST help local communities make improvements necessary to protect residents, ensure environmental health and stimulate economic prosperity that will benefit residents now and in the future."

Of the $129 million total, $101 million is for low-interest loans and $28 million is offered as grants from the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority, known as PENNVEST.

The awards range from a $213,000 loan to construct a manure storage facility in Lancaster County that will reduce nutrient runoff into the Chesapeake Bay watershed, to a $13 million loan that will be used to construct water collection and retention facilities that will eliminate the overloading of a wastewater treatment plant in Butler County that results in raw sewage running into nearby creeks.

Funds for the projects are disbursed after bills for work are paid and receipts are submitted to PENNVEST. For more information about PENNVEST, visit www.pennvest.state.pa.us.

Media contacts:

Paul Marchetti, PENNVEST; 717-783-4496

Gary Tuma, Governor’s Office; 717-783-1116

Editor's Note: A list of projects funded by-county follows:

PENNVEST NONPOINT SOURCE PROJECTS:

Fulton County

• Fulton County Conservation District received an $837,000 grant to construct manure storage and handling facilities and a riparian buffer to eliminate barnyard runoff and nutrient contamination of Cove Run.

Lancaster County

• Lancaster County Conservation District received:
  • A $291,000 loan to treat both hog and dairy manure at various farms to remove both nitrogen and phosphorous from the manure that farmers spread on their fields, thus reducing the contamination of the Chesapeake Bay watershed by these nutrients.
  • A $495,000 grant to construct structures for composting and storing manure to reduce both nitrogen and phosphorous contamination of the Conestoga River from the runoff of barnyard waste.
  • A $213,000 loan to construct manure storage facilities to eliminate winter manure land applications and contamination of streams by nitrogen and phosphorous runoff.

Philadelphia County

• Philadelphia City received a $2.4 million grant to plant 2,500 trees in various locations in north Philadelphia to reduce storm water inflows into the City's combined sewer system, thereby reducing overflows and overloading of the system during wet weather.

PENNVEST DRINKING WATER PROJECTS:

Allegheny County

• Edgeworth Borough Municipal Authority received a $3 million loan to construct a new water storage tank, a pump station and replace about half a mile of water distribution pipe to improve water pressure in the system and eliminate the threat of chemical contamination of the drinking water from the existing storage tank.

Cambria, Somerset and Westmoreland Counties

• Greater Johnstown Water Authority received a $9.8 million loan to construct nearly 17 miles of new water distribution lines, two new water storage tanks, a pump station and numerous other distribution system upgrades to improve the safety and reliability of water supplied to system customers.

Dauphin County

• Steelton Borough Authority received a $3.9 million loan to replace or rehabilitate portions of the existing water treatment plant and water transmission main and establish an emergency interconnection with United Water Company to provide a safe and reliable backup water supply source to customers.

Indiana County

• Central Indiana County Water Authority received a $2 million loan to construct a new water storage tank, replace more than a mile of water distribution lines to improve water pressure and reliability of the system.

• Indiana County Municipal Services Authority received a $3.5 million grant to construct a new public drinking water well, new storage tank and more than seven miles of water distribution lines to serve Plumville Borough and portions of South Mahoning Township where half of the individual drinking water wells are contaminated by fecal coliform bacteria and gasoline.

Mercer County

• Aqua PA (Shenango) received a $1.5 million loan to make repairs to an unsafe and deteriorated intake dam to improve both public safety and the reliability of service to drinking water customers.

Schuylkill County

• Auburn Municipal Authority received a $660,000 loan to replace half a mile of water distribution pipe and more than 300 water meters to eliminate high unaccounted-for water loss and improve the reliability of service.

Venango County

• Aqua PA (Emlenton) received a $3.1 million loan to construct a new water treatment plant and improve an existing reservoir to eliminate cryptosporidium and other waterborne pathogens from the public water supply.

PENNVEST WASTEWATER PROJECTS:

Allegheny County

• West Mifflin Sanitary Sewer Authority received a $1.2 million loan to reline nearly five miles of collection lines and make other system improvements to reduce wet weather overflows of untreated wastewater into the Monongahela River.

Armstrong, Cambria, Clearfield and Indiana counties

• Indiana County Municipal Services Authority received a $2 million grant to construct nearly five miles of collection lines to eliminate the use of an outmoded sewage treatment plant by transporting waste from the existing plant's customers, as well as additional households with malfunctioning on-lot systems, to a treatment plant in a neighboring community.

Bedford County

• Bedford Township Municipal Authority received an $833,000 loan to install about eight and a half miles of new sewage collection lines to eliminate the use of malfunctioning on-lot septic systems that are discharging raw sewage into local streams and drinking water wells.

Berks County

• Maxatawny Township Municipal Authority received a $3.4 million loan to construct a new treatment plant and sewage collection system to eliminate the use of malfunctioning on-lot septic systems that are discharging untreated waste and contaminating local drinking water wells.

Butler County

• Butler Area Sewer Authority received a $13 million loan to construct surge tanks, three pump stations and about one mile of sewage collection lines to eliminate the discharge of raw sewage into publicly accessible areas during wet weather.

Cambria County

• Ferndale Borough received a $2.8 million loan to install six miles of sewage collection lines to eliminate five combined sewer overflows in the system that are discharging sewage into Stony Creek during wet weather.

Centre County

• Potter Township received a $423,000 loan to construct a new treatment plant and pump station as well as more than a mile of force main so that it can abandon the use of a deteriorated sewage treatment plant that could contaminate Cedar Run.
• Port Matilda Borough Authority received a $1.5 million grant to construct more than two miles of sewer mains and install grinder pumps to eliminate the use of malfunctioning on-lot septic systems that are contaminating local drinking water wells and Sunnyside Hollow, a designated Wild Trout stream.

Clinton County

• Pine Creek Municipal Authority received a $6.4 million loan to upgrade the existing wastewater treatment plant to eliminate wet weather discharges of waste into the West Branch of the Susquehanna River and to allow the plant to meet Chesapeake Bay nutrient discharge requirements.
• Western Clinton County Municipal Authority received a $789,000 loan to replace an existing pump station that is not able to handle wet weather flows that are contaminating the Susquehanna River.

Huntingdon County

• Alexandria-Porter Township Joint Sewer Authority received a $1.1 loan and a $3.1 million grant to construct eight miles of sewage collection and transmission lines and a pump station to provide service to two areas in two communities whose malfunctioning on-lot septic systems are contaminating local drinking water wells with coliform and fecal coliform bacteria.

Lebanon County

• South Annville Township received a $3.8 million loan and a $1.3 million grant to install more than six miles of sewage collection lines and other facilities needed to eliminate the use of malfunctioning on-lot septic systems that are contaminating local drinking water wells.

Lehigh County

• Lehigh County Authority received a $2.9 loan to replace the Arcadia West Industrial Park wastewater treatment plant with a new plant and sewage conveyance system that will provide adequate service to both the existing industrial park and allow its expansion, as well as a proposed new industrial park that could potentially create more than 900 new jobs.

Lycoming County

• Duboistown Borough received a $2.7 million loan to construct an equalization tank, force main and other facilities to eliminate the discharge of untreated sewage into Mosquito Creek during wet weather.
• Williamsport Sanitary Authority received a $4.5 million loan to construct new facilities to address nutrient removal required by the commonwealth's Chesapeake Bay nutrient reduction strategy, as well as helping reduce overflows caused by the City of Williamsport's combined sewer system.

McKean County

• Foster Township received a $917,000 loan to construct more than two miles of sewage collection lines to serve portions of the township where malfunctioning on-lot septic systems are discharging untreated sewage into Kendall Creek and other publicly accessible areas.

Monroe County

• Brodhead Creek Regional Authority received a $10 million loan to upgrade the existing Stroudsburg wastewater treatment plant to help the plant meet more stringent discharge limits, eliminate discharges from individual on-lot septic systems and seven private wastewater treatment plants, as well as provide for the expansion of commercial and industrial use that will bring new jobs to the area.

Schuylkill County

• Port Clinton Borough received a $266,000 grant to design a new sewage collection system to eliminate malfunctioning on-lot septic systems and wildcat sewers that are contaminating Rattling Run, the Little Schuylkill River and the Schuylkill River.

Venango County

• Sugarcreek Borough received a $6.8 million loan to repair nearly 16 miles of sewage collection lines and laterals, as well as 150 manholes, to eliminate wet weather discharges of untreated waste into French Creek and the Allegheny River.

Warren County

• Sugar Grove Area Sewer Authority received a $2.1 million loan and a $1.1 million grant to construct nearly 15 miles of sewage collection lines, two pump stations and other facilities to eliminate the use of malfunctioning on-lot septic systems that are contaminating local drinking water wells with fecal coliform bacteria.

Washington County

• Amwell Township received a $229,000 grant to design more than four miles of sewage collection lines and force main, as well as a pump station, to eliminate the use of malfunctioning on-lot septic systems that are contaminating Little Ten Mile Run and local drinking water wells.

Wayne County

• South Wayne County Water and Sewer Authority received a $3 million loan to replace two pump stations and nearly a mile of sewer mains to eliminate wet weather overloads that contaminate Rattling Run.

Westmoreland County

• Monessen City received a $5.1 million grant to install more than five miles of sewage collection lines to eliminate wet weather discharges of raw sewage into tributaries of the Monongahela River.
• Washington Township Municipal Authority received a $936,000 loan to construct more than five miles of sewage collection lines to eliminate the use of malfunctioning on-lot septic systems that are discharging untreated sewage into Pine Run. The project will also provide service to the Westmoreland County Business and Research Park, allowing it to continue operating and potentially add new business tenants.

PENNVEST STORM WATER PROJECTS:

Columbia County

• Berwick Area Joint Sewer Authority received a $2.3 million loan and a $4.6 million grant to construct more than two miles of storm water piping to eliminate combined sewer overflows that contaminate the Susquehanna River during wet weather.

Franklin County

• Waynesboro Borough received a $6.3 million loan to construct storm water drainage networks to eliminate flooding and the potential contamination of public waterways from storm water runoff.

Luzerne County

• Yatesville Borough received a $600,000 loan to construct more than half a mile of storm sewers to eliminate street, yard and basement flooding that occurs in wet weather.

Northumberland County

• Mt. Carmel Municipal Authority received a $1.4 million grant to replace storm water box culvert that is creating a public safety hazard and eliminate two combined sewer overflows that discharge untreated sewage into Butternut Creek during wet weather.

SOURCE Pennsylvania Office of the Governor