The funding will support 32 drinking water and wastewater projects across the Commonwealth which will increase water quality for Pennsylvania’s citizens.
Harrisburg, PA – Today, Today, the Shapiro Administration announced the investment of $242.8 million for 32 drinking water and wastewater projects across 23 counties through the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority (PENNVEST). The projects include replacing lead service lines, rehabilitating aging systems, upgrading service capabilities, extending service to more communities, and reducing environmental contaminants through compliance with current regulatory levels.
“With the announcement of these approvals, it’s important to emphasize the significant milestone PENNVEST has reached, surpassing $1 billion in clean water infrastructure approvals within a single fiscal year for the first time,” said PENNVEST Chairman Dr. Brian Regli. “I want to express my gratitude for the collective efforts, dedication, and hard work of the PENNVEST team and their partners. This meaningful progress is setting the stage for even more success in the future.”
“Since the inception of the State Revolving Fund, PENNVEST has approved in excess of $12.8 billion in clean water infrastructure projects,” said PENNVEST Executive Director Robert Boos. “The revolving nature of the fund has proven to be highly successful. As we move forward, our focus will remain on supporting projects that continue to innovate and foster collaboration, ensuring we deliver even greater results for our communities”.
PENNVEST funding for water improvement projects originates from a combination of state funds approved by voters, Growing Greener funds, Marcellus Legacy funds, the Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act, 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 recycled loan repayments from previous PENNVEST funding awards.
The list of project summaries is as follows:
Drinking Water Projects
Allegheny County
• *Borough of Brackenridge – received a $2,139,980 grant and a $3,810,020 loan to resolve water treatment plant compliance issues as part of a Consent Order and Agreement between the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP) and Brackenridge Borough. The project will include the installation of turbidimeters and approximately 620 feet of replacement piping for the clearwell and on-site distribution storage tanks to provide automatic shutdown capability and isolate the clearwell from distribution storage. Additional actions that will be performed during the project to remedy structural defects include clarifier improvements and leak repair in the plant walls between backwash chambers to improve efficiency. This project will bring the Borough into compliance with federal regulatory requirements by enabling automatic shutdown capabilities which will prevent distribution of inadequately treated water.
Beaver County
• Borough of Baden– received a $3,184,700 loan for improvements to the water system that experiences frequent water main breaks and leaking distribution lines due to poor connectivity. The project will include the replacement of 10,500 feet of 6-inch ductile iron pipe (DIP) water mains, 3,000 feet of 1-inch service lines, and 7 fire hydrants. These upgrades will provide many benefits to the system and the community it serves including improved reliability, increased flow of water to fire hydrants, decreased potential of negative pressure to avoid contaminants entering the system, and the system’s continued compliance with water loss minimization requirements.
• Borough of Monaca– received a $2,775,000 loan to upgrade water mains and service lines to alleviate water loss due to frequent pipe breakage. The project will include the replacement of 6,760 feet of 6-inch and 8-inch cast iron water mains, 4,175 feet of service lines on the public side, and 10 fire hydrants. Upgrades to the system will reduce the number of water main breaks and the amount of sediment washed into adjacent waterways, as well as decrease service interruption and discolored water incidents experienced by customers.
Bucks County
• ***Aqua Pennsylvania Inc. – received a $430,961 grant and a $1,904.039 loan for a lead service line replacement project. This project will replace 167 residential lead and galvanized service lines. Removal of all galvanized and leaded water service lines will provide direct water quality improvements to 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 system.
• ***Aqua Pennsylvania Inc. – received a $1,244,060 grant and a $655,940 loan for a Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) remediation project at the Chalfont Well 14 in New Britain Borough. The existing Chalfont Well 14 Treatment Station treats groundwater from the well. A new treatment facility will be constructed to maintain the permitted capacity of 250 gallons per minute (GPM) and will be located on the property of the existing Chalfont Well 14 Station. The PFAS treatment will involve the usage of ion-exchange units to adsorb the Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) and Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) compounds. Two 5-foot diameter treatment vessels will be installed with a 5-micron cartridge filter upstream of the IX system. This project will remove PFAS from the drinking water system.
• ***Northampton Bucks County Municipal Authority – received a $13,042,732 grant and a $6,876,873 loan for Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) remediation projects in Churchville and Hillside Manors. The Authority and the United States Department of the Navy are participating in an Environmental Services Cooperative Agreement (ESCA) related to past activities that created groundwater contamination issues at the former Naval Air Warfare Center (NAWC) Warminster facility which neighbored Northampton Township. Through this project, 334 private properties will be connected to the public water system, contingent on each homeowner’s acceptance of the connection offer. Within the "Churchville Manor Public Water Project", construction will include 9,800 feet of 8-inch ductile iron pipe (DIP) water main, 9 fire hydrants, 19,000 feet of ¾-inch service lines, 160 residential meters, and 160 private interior water connections. Within the "Hillside Manor Public Water Project", 8,100 feet of 8-inch ductile iron pipe (DIP) water main, 9 fire hydrants, 20,000 feet of ¾-inch service lines,174 residential meters, and 174 private interior water connections will be constructed. Each project location will also include the construction of 1 sampling station and 2 flushing stations. The new customers will experience improved water quality with the reduction in exposure to PFAS contamination and the community will also save approximately 20 percent in energy costs with the disconnection of up to 334 private wells, which expend more engery to operate.
Cambria County
• *Greater Johnstown Water Authority – received a $22,121,845 loan to make modifications to the North Fork Reservoir, which is the primary source of raw water for the Authority’s system that serves 21,172 users. The North Fork Dam has been deemed to be a “high hazard dam”, and a Consent Order and Agreement is currently in place between the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP) and the Greater Johnstown Water Authority to make improvements. Modification plans include the addition of a new roller compacted concrete spillway and the construction of a new cast-in-place concrete crest wall, spillway cap, auxiliary spillway training walls, cast-in-place concrete stilling basin and a new pre-engineered bridge with access road. The existing principal side right sidewall will be extended, two hinged flood gates will be installed at the crest wall along with new electric power, control conduit, and a gate valve at the existing intake tower, and point repairs will be made to the existing principal concrete spillway. The rehabilitation will correct the problems detailed in the COA, reducing the risk of the dam overtopping which would decrease the potential of catastrophic flooding, damage to communities, and disruption of drinking water service.
Chester County
• ***Aqua Pennsylvania Inc. – received a $1,636,922 grant and an $863,078 loan to minimize the presence of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in finished water via treatment at the Willowdale Crossing Treatment Well in East Marlborough Township. The project will include the construction of a new treatment facility that will maintain the permitted capacity of 350 gallons per minute (GPM) and will be located on the property of the existing Willowdale Crossing Well Station. It will also include the installation of granular activated carbon (GAC) units, and two 10-foot diameter treatment vessels. The project will address health and safety concerns associated with Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) and Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) contamination.
• ***Aqua Pennsylvania Inc. – received a $1,309,537 grant and a $690,463 loan to minimize the presence of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in finished water via treatment at the Franklin Treatment Well in Franklin Township. The project will include the construction of a new treatment facility that will maintain the permitted capacity of 60 gallons per minute (GPM) and will be located on the property of the existing Franklin Well Station. Equipment installation includes granular activated carbon (GAC) units, and two 5-foot diameter treatment vessels. The project will address health and safety concerns associated with Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) and Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) contamination.
• ***Aqua Pennsylvania Inc. – received a $1,375,014 grant and a $724,986 loan to minimize the presence of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in finished water via treatment at the Friendship Treatment Well in West Brandywine Township. The project will include the construction of a new treatment facility that will maintain the permitted capacity of 120 gallons per minute (GPM) and will be located on the property of the existing Friendship Well Station. It will also include the installation of ion exchange units, and two 4-foot diameter treatment vessels with a 5-micron cartridge filter upstream of the IX system. The project will address health and safety concerns associated with Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) and Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) contamination.
• ***Aqua Pennsylvania Inc. – received a $1,473,229 grant and a $776,771 loan to minimize the presence of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in finished water via treatment at the Highland Glen Treatment Well in West Whiteland Township. The project will include the construction of a new treatment facility that will maintain the permitted capacity of 167 gallons per minute (GPM) and will be located on the property of the existing Highland Glen Well Station. Equipment installation includes ion exchange units, and two 4-foot diameter treatment vessels with a 5-micron cartridge filter upstream of the IX system. The project will address health and safety concerns associated with Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) and Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) contamination.
Clearfield County
• ***Clearfield Municipal Authority – received a $15,628,982 grant and a $10,271,018 loan for upgrades to the Montgomery Run water treatment facility. The project will include the replacement of the existing conventional filtration system with a new membrane filtration system and all the applicable appurtenances. There will be construction of a new treatment building which will house the membrane filtration system, installation of new chemical feed systems, a clearwell, instrumentation, pumps, a Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system, and upgrades to the heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC), plumbing, and electrical systems. The project will assist the Authority with meeting the current and proposed drinking water standards and the long-term needs of the system while improving overall water quality to its consumers.
Clinton County
• Central Clinton County Water Filtration Authority – received a $2,558,000 loan for rehabilitation and repairs to the clearwell and 2 finished water storage tanks at the water filtration plant. Rehabilitation in the clearwell includes the replacement of discharge piping and the application of a waterproof coating system. The finished water storage tanks will undergo the removal of sediment and debris, the application of epoxy coating to interior piping and elastomeric coating to the interior wall surfaces, replacement of deteriorated components and access hatches, and exterior cleaning and coating of the finished water storage reservoirs. The project will keep the water treatment plant in good operational condition and extend the useful life of the storage tanks.
Erie County
• ***Erie City Water Authority – received a $9,585,100 grant and a $414,900 loan for the replacement of approximately 1,250 customer-side, wrought iron water service lines and lead goosenecks. The project will help the Authority facilitate compliance with state and federal regulations to protect consumers through the replacement of existing lead service lines which are known to be detrimental to human health. Additionally, the reduction in leakage is expected to result in lower rates for consumers.
Fayette County
• *North Fayette County Municipal Authority – received a $22,365,000 loan for improvements at the water filtration plant in Dunbar Township, providing water to 23 municipalities. The project will include the construction of a new building to house upgraded electrical distribution equipment and a backwash tank in parallel with the existing tank. Equipment improvements will include the installation of 4 vertical turbine pumps with variable frequency drives (VFDs), polyaluminum chloride (PAC) and carbon feed systems, a pipeline flash reactor, emergency generators, and chemical components changes. This project will improve the quality of life for the system’s customers by ensuring plant reliability and providing safer handling for various chemical systems.
Lancaster County
• East Cocalico Township Authority – received a $3,000,000 loan to bring Well F back online. This well was offline due to multiple sinkholes in a retention basin near the well. After initial repairs and purging, the well was categorized by DEP as groundwater under the direct influence of surface water (GUDI). To meet DEP treatment requirements for GUDI, a new ultra-filtration process will be designed and installed to be utilized ahead of the existing nano-filtration process at the treatment plant. Ultraviolet (UV) disinfection will also be incorporated into the new treatment process. This project will restore the Authority’s largest source of water that has been out of service for 18 months. The new treatment process will result in reduced backwash waste volumes and also allow discussions to resume with adjacent water systems that were previously interested in receiving supply from the Authority.
Lawrence County
• ***Pennsylvania-American Water Company – received a $5,565,850 grant and a $3,962,140 loan for a lead service line replacement project in the City of New Castle. This project includes the complete water service line replacement of 556 lead and galvanized lead-impacted water service lines. Project components include ¾-inch type K copper service line replacement piping installed via trenched access pits, trenchless installations, restoration, traffic control and erosion and sediment control. Removal of all galvanized and leaded water service lines will provide direct water quality improvements to the system’s customers and is consistent with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP), and Pennsylvania-American Water Company initiatives to remove lead containing lines from the public water supply system.
Luzerne County
• ***Aqua Pennsylvania Inc. – received a $2,815,505 grant and a $1,484,495 loan to minimize the presence of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in finished water via treatment at the White Haven Treatment Well in White Haven Borough. The project will include the construction of a new treatment facility that will maintain the permitted capacity of 400 gallons per minute (GPM) and will be located on the property of the existing White Haven Treatment Well Station. Ion exchange treatment vessels for pre-filtration and heat tracing will also be installed. The project will address health and safety concerns associated with Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) and Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) contamination.
Lycoming County
• Borough of Montoursville – received a $2,150,000 loan to construct a new Reservoir No. 4 water storage tank to replace the functions of the existing Reservoir No. 2 tank. The project will include construction of a new one-million-gallon prestressed concrete water storage tank, the installation of tank inlet/outlet piping, drain line, Kasco Mixer, pressure transmitter, improvements to the access road and stormwater swale, and the reconstruction of an existing culvert that will be disturbed during construction. The Reservoir No. 2 water storage tank will be abandoned once the new tank is online. The Reservoir No. 4 water storage tank will have a greater capacity for finished water storage than the remaining Reservoir No. 3 and the outdated Reservoir No. 2 tanks combined.
• Jersey Shore Area Joint Water Authority – received a $17,870,700 loan for improvements at the Larry’s Creek Water Filtration Plant. Included in the project is the construction of a new pretreatment building, a below-grade concrete, dual-chamber clearwell, and a below-grade wastewater tank. New treatment equipment to be installed will include membrane, chemical feed, microfiltration and Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems, 3 chemical feed stations for the pretreatment building, rapid mixer and flocculator drives, raw water influent meter/valve, 16-inch sedimentation basin bypass line, settled water line, master control panel, heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) and plumbing, and modifications to the existing telemetry system. A portion of the raw water lines just outside the existing pretreatment building will also be replaced due to aging valves and the need to install a new raw water meter vault. The project will allow the Authority to maintain compliance with PADEP requirements and provide a more reliable water treatment operating system with a reduction in maintenance challenges.
McKean County
• Keating Township Municipal Authority – received a $2,000,000 loan under the Advance Funding Program to develop and implement a new regional municipal water system, be managed by the Keating Township Municipal Authority, and will connect with the Bradford City Water Authority’s infrastructure. This project will include the construction of a 300,000-gallon storage tank and rechlorination system, the installation of approximately 75,000 feet of 6-inch and 8-inch water main, new service laterals and water meters. The project will address compliance and staffing issues, antiquated equipment, and provide communities with safe, consistent public drinking water.
Philadelphia County
• ***City of Philadelphia – received a $5,864,747 grant and a $4,110,253 loan for a lead service line replacement project in West Philadelphia. This project includes the replacement of lead and galvanized steel drinking water service lines with new copper service lines to 950 households. These replacements will include service line from the main to the meter, from the curb stop to the meter or from the main to the curb stop, depending on the need to eliminate all lead from the system. It is estimated that nearly all service lines will require a reconnection at the meter and a pitcher filter. Removal of all galvanized and leaded water service lines will provide direct water quality improvements to the system’s customers and is consistent with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP) initiatives to remove lead containing lines from the public water supply system.
Westmoreland County
• ***Municipal Authority of the City of New Kensington – received a $1,351,968 grant and a $74,482 loan for the replacement of approximately 100 lead water service lines in the City of Arnold and the City of New Kensington. New service saddles, corporations, curb stops, and curb boxes will be installed as part of the project. If any private service line also contains lead, it will be replaced up to the house connection. The project will help the Authority facilitate compliance with state and federal regulations to protect consumers through the replacement of existing lead service lines which are known to be detrimental to human health.
Wastewater Projects
Blair County
• **Altoona Water Authority – received a $6,750,000 loan to replace existing bar screens at the Easterly and Westerly Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) Control Facilities. The 4 existing bar screens at each CSO facility will be replaced with similar screens each having a ¾-inch bar opening, and an 84-degree screen angle, with a 9-inch head loss at max flow. Eight screens will be replaced in total. This project will contribute to improved operations of the existing facilities, including management of combined sewer overflows to eliminate discharge into the receiving streams of the Little Juniata River and the Beaverdam Branch of the Little Juniata River.
Butler County
• Evans City Water and Sewer Authority – received a $666,042 grant and a $1,343,958 loan to relocate the Callery Pump Station 600 feet from the current location. This relocation project will include the installation of 500 feet of new 10-inch gravity sewer and 600 feet of new force main, 2 manholes, new pumps, control panels, a generator and an upgrade to the existing Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system to allow the treatment plant and the Callery Pump Station to be under one operational system. The project will alleviate flooding and accessibility issues to the pump station during heavy rain events and increase the capacity of the station.
Cambria County
• Scalp Level Borough – received a $5,135,237 grant and a $3,374,763 loan for a sanitary sewer rehabilitation and separation project in the Mine 40 area of the Scalp Level Borough. The project includes the installation of 8,236 feet of new gravity sanitary sewer collection system mainline and 1,876 feet of new storm water line. The existing sanitary sewer system will be left in place for use as additional stormwater infrastructure. The project will result in reduced infiltration/inflow and sanitary sewer overflows at the wastewater treatment plant during wet weather conditions.
Crawford County
• ***Meadville Area Sewer Authority – received a $7,675,701 grant and a $5,044,299 loan for upgrades to the existing collection system and the construction of a new maintenance facility. One portion of the project will include a full replacement of the Race Street Pump Station to the latest energy efficiency standards, and a section of damaged forced main will be replaced with 1,900 feet of new force main in the City of Meadville. In addition, 800 feet of gravity sewer will be replaced along Race Street. In another project area, at the Gill Village subdivision, 2,000 feet of force main will be replaced with 8-inch diameter fusible high-density polyethylene (HDPE). The gravity sewer replacement portion of the project will include 2,800 feet of new gravity sewer along North Street. A new 3,300 square foot maintenance garage and office facility will be constructed adjacent to the Authority’s existing wastewater treatment plant. The project will reduce infiltration of water into sewer pipes and resolve underperformance issues within the conveyance system. The upgrades to the Race Street Pump Station will allow for the abandonment of the existing Vernon Township Fredericksburg Wastewater Treatment Plant. The new maintenance facility will replace a building that is currently leased and undersized, which will improve the Authority’s system operations, increase the useful life of equipment and vehicles, and provide an area for staff to perform various maintenance work, including welding.
Lancaster County
• **Elizabethtown Borough – received an $8,850,000 loan for Phase 2 of their Radio Road Interceptor improvement project. The project will include the replacement of 15-inch diameter pipe with 18-inch pipe between manholes G1 and L39, replacement of 18-inch diameter pipe with 21-inch pipe between manholes L37 and J30, and replacement of 21-inch diameter pipe between manholes J30 and C44. Various sanitary sewer main segments will be realigned to improve sewer flow and the sewer between manholes N1 and L37 will be rerouted to redirect flow and eliminate the existing inverted siphon. These improvements will reduce inflow and infiltration and provide adequate hydraulic capacity for existing and future flows.
Schuylkill County
• Minersville Sewer Authority – received an $870,758 grant and a $1,129,242 loan for the installation of a new Ultraviolet (UV) disinfection system for wastewater treatment. The proposed new system will include the installation of three UV banks into one of the existing chlorine contact tanks. Half of the current chlorine disinfection system will remain operational until the new UV disinfection system is fully functional. Once operational, the other part of the chlorine contact tank will be used to store utility water and the chlorine feed system will be removed. The new UV system will eliminate the negative health impacts on operators by eliminating the need for them to handle hazardous chlorine chemicals, reduce operational and maintenance costs (O&M), and provide redundancy opportunities within the treatment process.
Somerset County
• ***Municipal Authority of the Borough of Somerset – received a $10,724,921 grant and a $7,975,079 loan to upgrade sanitary sewer and stormwater systems. The project includes the replacement or rehabilitation of approximately 41,650 feet of sanitary sewer piping and 195 sanitary sewer manholes, the installation or replacement of approximately 11,350 feet of stormwater pipe and 104 stormwater drainage basins (inlets). These system upgrades are proposed in locations where illegal sanitary sewer connections are known to exist; illegal connections to the sanitary sewer system will be removed and connected to the storm water system. The project will reduce the amount of infiltration and inflow by an expected 20 – 40 percent which will decrease the probability of sanitary sewer overflow events and lower operational and maintenance costs (O&M) related to system overflows.
Union County
• **Gregg Township Municipal Authority – received a $1,250,000 loan to install equipment necessary to operate a chlorination and de-chlorination system and erect a storage building. This project includes the construction of a new building to store and feed sodium hypochlorite (liquid chlorine) and sodium bisulfite into the system. The building will house two 5,000-gallon bulk chemical storage tanks, installed with secondary containment, chemical feed pump systems, and electrical and control systems. An eye washing and shower station will also be included in the case of chemical emergencies. The project will mitigate current exceedances of effluent fecal coliform limits due to leachate from the Lycoming County Resource Management Service landfill.
Wayne County
• Central Wayne Regional Authority – received a $1,042,676 grant and a $2,935,224 loan to replace all the deteriorated sewer infrastructure in the Grove Street and Terrace Heights area. The project includes the replacement of 7,600 feet of 8-inch sewer main, 30 sanitary sewer manholes, and 75 service connections. The project will eliminate potential risk to public health and safety due to aging infrastructure, reduce operational and maintenance costs (O&M) for the wastewater treatment plant, and decrease inflow and infiltration.
*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.