Grant money and low-interest loans have been provided to several counties in Central Pennsylvania to upgrade the water infrastructure there.
Infrastructure for drinking water. (WTAJ)
Financial Support for Infrastructure Upgrade of Drinking Water
The Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority (PENNVEST), a state-run autonomous organization established in 1988 to offer financial support for drinking water, sewage, and stormwater projects, is the source of the financing. According to Blair County representative Jim Gregory (R), more than $10 million has been allocated for infrastructure upgrades.
The third and final stage of the Bellwood Borough Authority’s waterline replacement project, which comprises the installation of over 20,000 feet of pipe along with 21 fire hydrants and other appurtenances, will be funded by a $5.8 million loan. Gregory claims that the Hollidaysburg Sewer Authority will also benefit from the money, with $3.9 million going to the city’s plan to put in separate sanitary and storm systems to reduce flows.
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Sen. Wayne Langerholc Jr. Announced $ 15 Million Funding
Cambria and Clearfield counties will receive over $15 million in state funding for water system repair projects, according to an announcement made by Sen. Wayne Langerholc Jr. (R-35). The investment, according to Langerholc, a member of the PENNVEST Board of Directors, is “crucial” for bringing water systems into conformity and safeguarding water supplies for inhabitants of Cambria and Clearfield counties.
According to Langerholc, PENNVEST will provide a $11.5 million grant and a $2.2 million low-interest loan to the Highland Sewer and Water Authority in Johnstown. According to Langerholc, the money will also be used to replace 265 water service meters, 180 water service taps, and more than 52,000 feet of water pipes. In Cambria County, where outdated and decaying infrastructure has led to significant rates of water loss, the lines supply water to the Tri-Township Water Authority.
In addition, PENNVEST will provide a $1.2 million low-interest loan and a $465,568 grant to the Irvona Municipal Authority in the Clearfield County townships of Beccaria and Irvona Borough. According to Langerholc, the money will be used to replace 14,000 feet of waterlines made of cement and asbestos that were installed in the 1950s.
Salisbury Borough in Somerset County received a $877,000 low-interest loan to repair its wastewater treatment system, according to Rep. Carl Walker Metzgar (R-Somerset). Pumps, check valves, the screening system, pipelines, and an emergency generator at the plant have all been upgraded.
The vast majority of the current equipment, according to Metzgar, is already more than 40 years old and is nearing the end of its functional life. It is anticipated that the project will begin on September 11 and end on June 28, 2024.
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