Pennsylvania Governor Corbett Announces $91 Million Investment in Water Infrastructure Projects in 20 Counties

HARRISBURG, Pa., April 24, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Governor Tom Corbett today announced the investment of $91 million in 22 non-point source, drinking water and wastewater projects in 20 counties through the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority (PENNVEST). 

"The improvements to our environment and Pennsylvania's economy that are created by the projects approved by the Board today help fulfill the fundamental purposes of PENNVEST and my administration," Corbett said. "We have made significant progress in both of these areas for more than two years now and, with efforts such as this, we will continue to add to these accomplishments and further the realization of these twin goals.''

Of the $91 million total awards, $84 million is for low-interest loans and $7 million is offered as grants.

The awards range from a $314,490 loan/grant combination to control storm water surges by partnering with the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources' TreeVitalize program to plant 500 trees in a Bucks County municipality, to an $11 million loan to a Cumberland County community that has to upgrade its wastewater treatment plant in order to eliminate wet weather discharges into the Susquehanna River and also to meet its nutrient discharge limitations.

The funding comes from a combination of state funds approved by voters, federal grants to PENNVEST from the Environmental Protection Agency and recycled loan repayments from previous PENNVEST funding awards. Funds for the projects are disbursed after bills for work are paid and receipts are submitted to PENNVEST.

For more information, visit www.pennvest.state.pa.us or call 717-783-6798.

Media contact:  Paul Marchetti, 717-783-4496

Editor's Note: A list of project summaries follows:

PENNVEST Non-point Source Projects:

Bucks County

Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission received a $157,245 loan and a $157,245 grant to plant 500 trees in the Borough of Sellersville to reduce storm water erosion and sediment flows into Perkiomen Creek that occur during wet weather.

Delaware County

Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission received a $407,704 grant to plant 574 trees in the City of Chester to reduce storm water erosion and sediment flows into Chester and Ridley Creeks Creek that occur during wet weather.

PENNVEST Drinking Water Projects:

Allegheny County

Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority received a $4,960,000 loan to install about a mile of new water distribution lines to serve several locations in the city that currently experience service interruptions and where there is insufficient water flow for firefighting purposes.

Cambria County

Cresson Township Municipal Authority received a $1,335,000 loan to construct a new drinking water storage tank and pump station, along with new water distribution lines, to eliminate pressure problems in the system and significantly reduce water losses.

Clarion County

Rimersburg Borough Municipal Authority received a $1,468,825 loan to construct more than two miles of drinking water distribution lines to serve Toby Township, where more than one fourth of residents' drinking water wells are contaminated by fecal coliform bacteria, most likely from local on-lot septic systems.

Clearfield County

Clearfield Municipal Authority received a $10,994,600 loan to construct three finished water storage tanks, replace a pump station and replace a leaking 100-year old water main. The project will improve service to the entire system, particularly commercialized areas and a business park where 685 jobs will be retained and an additional 133 new jobs will be created.

Northumberland County

Sunbury City Municipal Authority received a $3,085,000 loan to upgrade its drinking water treatment plant to improve the reliability and quality of water provided to system customers.

PENNVEST Wastewater Projects:

Adams County

Tyrone Township received a $1,551,449 loan to construct about a mile of sanitary sewers, laterals and force mains as well as make improvements to its existing wastewater treatment facility in order to provide service to the Village of Heidlesburg, where malfunctioning on-lot septic systems are compromising local drinking water wells.

Armstrong and Clarion Counties

Hawthorn Redbank/Redbank Municipal Authority received a $5,317,558 loan and a $1,748,422 grant to construct a new 200,000 gallons-per-day sewage treatment plant, three pump stations and more than 14 miles of sewage collection lines and force main to serve homes in Hawthorn Borough and Redbank Township where approximately 50 percent of the on-lot septic systems are malfunctioning.

Beaver County

North Sewickley Township Sanitary Authority received a $1,495,803 loan and a $590,394 grant to construct almost eight miles of sanitary sewers and install 100 grinder pumps to serve areas of the township where on-lot septic systems malfunction and discharge raw sewage into both the Beaver River and Brush Run during wet weather.

Cambria County

Johnstown City received a $10,900,000 loan to construct more than seven miles of sanitary sewers, along with some storm sewers, in order to eliminate wet-weather overloading of the sanitary sewer system during wet weather and the resultant discharges of untreated waste into Stony Creek.

Centre and Clearfield Counties

Moshannon Valley Joint Sewer Authority received a $1,400,000 loan to upgrade its existing wastewater treatment facility in order to meet nutrient discharge limits required under the Chesapeake Bay Initiative. The project will also help create 12 new jobs at the Moshannon Valley Correctional Facility.

Clarion County

Lake Lucy Sewage Association received a $366,954 loan and a $74,036 grant to upgrade its existing wastewater treatment plant so that it will be able to meet its effluent permit limits and be in compliance with the Clean Streams Act.

Cumberland County

Lemoyne Borough Municipal Authority received an $11,000,000 loan to upgrade its currently overloaded wastewater treatment facility and to reduce nutrient discharges to the Susquehanna River and the Chesapeake Bay.

Lawrence County

Lawrence Hickory Municipal Authority received a $4,333,700 loan to install more than 10 miles of gravity sewers and force main to serve an area of Hickory Township where soils are not conducive for on-lot septic systems. More than half of the systems in the area of the township to be served by this project are currently malfunctioning.

Lebanon County

GH 49ers Inc., DBA Keystone Protein received a $6,433,176 loan to upgrade its wastewater treatment plant in order to bring the plant within effluent discharge limits and meet the company's nutrient discharge obligations relative to Beach Run and the Chesapeake Bay. The project will also allow the company to retain 27 existing jobs and create four additional jobs over the next three years.

Mercer County

Sandy Lake Township received a $361,629 loan and a $138,371 grant to construct almost two miles of sewer force mains and grinder pumps in order to connect a commercial area of the township to the Sandy Lake Borough system, thereby allowing two local businesses to expand and create 27 new jobs.

Montour County

Cooper Township Municipal Authority received a $3,850,000 loan to construct more than nine miles of sanitary sewer collection lines and force mains to provide service to an area where half of the on-lot septic systems are malfunctioning. This will also allow the expansion of a restaurant and banquet facility that will add 25 new jobs as a result.

Northumberland County

Zerbe Township received a $2,934,659 loan and a $1,158,311 grant to construct a new 500,000 gallons-per-day wastewater treatment plant that will eliminate raw water bypasses of the existing plant during wet weather and bring the system into compliance with the Clean Streams Act and Chesapeake Bay nutrient discharge limits. The project will also allow for the expansion of local business that will, in total, add 44 new jobs.

Potter County

Galeton Borough Authority received a $1,369,000 loan to upgrade its aged wastewater treatment plant to improve operational efficiency and allow the plant to serve a local business that will then be able to invest $150,000 and retain 28 jobs that might otherwise be lost without this plant improvement.

Washington County

Burgettstown-Smith Township Joint Sewerage Authority received a $2,607,456 loan to construct three miles of new sanitary sewer collection lines to serve an area of Smith Township where on-lot septic systems are malfunctioning and discharging raw sewage into Plum Run.

Westmoreland County

Vandergrift Borough received an $8,231,335 loan and a $2,648,965 grant to construct eight miles of sanitary sewer collection lines and separate storm water conveyance lines to eliminate combined sewer overflows that currently discharge raw sewage into the Kiskiminetas River during wet weather.

SOURCE PENNVEST