Our Mission
Board of Directors and Meeting Information
The PENNVEST Board of Directors meet quarterly to vote on the approval to fund project applications submitted by each meeting’s application cut-off date. These board meetings are open for the public to attend, either in person or virtually.
PENNVEST EPA Recognition
Annually, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recognizes innovative clean and drinking water projects through the PISCES and Aquarius programs. PENNVEST-funded projects in Pennsylvania are often acknowledged.
Legislation, Regulations, and Policy
PENNVEST programs, process, and decision-making is driven by policies, legislation, and regulations, whether created by the federal government, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, or PENNVEST leadership.
Our Funding Sources
PENNVEST utilizes a variety of funding sources to provide financing for projects that increase Pennsylvania’s water quality.
Federal Funding
Through this federal-state partnership, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) provides grants to individual states to provide low-interest loans to eligible recipients for water infrastructure projects including municipal wastewater facilities, non-point source pollution control, decentralized wastewater treatment systems, stormwater runoff mitigation, green infrastructure, estuary protection, and water reuse.
As money is paid back into the state’s revolving loan fund, the state awards new loans to other recipients for high priority, water quality activities. Repayments of loan principal and interest earnings are recycled back into the state’s CWSRF program to finance new projects that allow the funds to "revolve" at the state level over time.
Modeled the same as the CWSRF, the EPA provides grants funding to states to finance projects affecting the quality of drinking water such as improvements in drinking water treatment, water distribution infrastructure, water supply sources, replacing or constructing water storage tanks, connection of two or more water systems, and the construction of new water systems.
As in many states, water infrastructure has degraded due age and the use of antiquated materials. The massive cost to overhaul aging pipes and systems created a “band-aid” effect rather than addressing aging infrastructure on the larger-scale.
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act provided unprecedented funding to be able to address the urgent water challenges facing communities. Funding from this source is used to finance projects such as lead service line replacements and the remediation of PFAS and other emerging contamination.
State Funding
Act 218 of 2004 provided funding to PENNVEST to be used as grants for improvements to water and wastewater systems with an emphasis on nutrient reduction facilitates and combined sewer overflows within.
Through the Commonwealth’s Growing Greener Program (Act 68 of 1999 and Act 45 of 2005), funding was committed for investments in preserving farmland, conserving open space, restoring water quality promoting outdoor recreation and revitalizing communities.
The Marcellus Shale Legacy Fund (Act 13 of 2012) generated funds through impact fees charged for oil and gas drilling to be invested in projects funded by PENNVEST such as abandoned mine drainage abatement, abandoned well plugging, sewage treatment, greenways, trails and recreation, baseline water quality data, watershed restoration and flood control.
Bond issues, with measures to support water quality improvements, may occasionally be included on Pennsylvania ballots for which voting by the public determines if the citizens approve or disapprove. Once a referendum of this type is approved by the public, Pennsylvania issues bonds in the amount approved and appropriates funding to PENNVEST to invest back into the Commonwealth as loans for water improvement projects.
The PENNVEST revolving loan model leverages recycled loan payments and interest earned to continually provide and grow the availability of funding for future projects.