HARRISBURG, Pa., July 14 Rendell-PENNVEST
HARRISBURG, Pa., July 14 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Governor Edward G. Rendell today announced the PENNVEST Board of Directors' approval of $63.8 million in low-interest loans and grants for 20 drinking water and wastewater projects in 16 counties.
In addition to noting the importance of today's projects for improving Pennsylvania's water resources, the Governor acknowledged the 20th anniversary of the PENNVEST program.
"The four and a half billion dollars in affordable financing that this program has awarded to over two thousand projects since its inception 20 years ago has significantly improved the quality of Pennsylvania's water systems and the well-being of its citizens," Governor Rendell said. "PENNVEST represents an important part of Pennsylvania's environmental improvement and economic development efforts.
"The PENNVEST Board continues its commitment to residents with the approval of $59.9 million in low-interest loans and $4 million in grants to fund 20 clean water projects."
The awards range from a $67,415 loan to alleviate public health problems in Mercer County caused by leaking septic systems to an $8.4 million loan and $1.2 million grant to construct more than 14 miles of sewer collection and transmission lines and other facilities that will eliminate raw sewage discharges into streams and groundwater in Mifflin County.
Funds for the projects are disbursed after bills for work are paid and the receipts are submitted to PENNVEST for reimbursement.
For more information about PENNVEST, visit www.pennvest.state.pa.us.
The Rendell administration is committed to creating a first-rate public education system, protecting our most vulnerable citizens and continuing economic investment to support our communities and businesses. To find out more about Governor Rendell's initiatives and to sign up for his weekly newsletter, visit www.governor.state.pa.us.
EDITOR'S NOTE: A list of project summaries, by county, follows.
PENNVEST DRINKING WATER PROJECTS:
Berks County
-- Western Berks Water Authority received a $3.1 million loan to make a variety of upgrades and repairs to the authority's treatment plant, which will prevent future water outages to more than 27,000 residential customers and a number of businesses in the area, including Reading Hospital.
Clarion County
--Paint Township Municipal Water Authority received a $1.2 million loan and a $151,310 grant to construct an interconnection with the Pennsylvania American Water Company and install nearly two miles of water distribution lines to serve 20 houses and 10 businesses whose drinking water is subject to contamination from iron and fecal coliform bacteria.
Clinton County
-- Suburban Lock Haven Water Authority received a $3.4 million loan to construct more than two miles of water transmission mains, a pump station and other facilities to eliminate low pressure problems facing residents and businesses. As a result of these improvements, at least 46 new jobs will be created by two local businesses.
Columbia County
-- Aqua PA received a $2 million loan to rehabilitate two wells, construct a pump station and make other improvements to adequately treat the drinking water in the company's Brush Valley system, which is now subject to chemical contamination.
Jefferson County
-- Winslow Township received a $2.2 million loan and a $255,809 grant to connect the Village of Soldier with the Sykesville Borough water system by constructing more than four miles of water transmission and distribution lines, a new pump station and a 75,000-gallon water storage tank. The project will eliminate an ongoing health threat to the 150 residents of the village whose drinking water is contaminated by acid mine drainage and on-lot septic system malfunctions.
PENNVEST WASTEWATER PROJECTS:
Allegheny County
-- Leetsdale Borough Municipal Authority received a $5.9 million loan to make improvements to the authority's wastewater treatment plant and pump station, as well as install a new force main to eliminate overflows that occur during heavy rain sending raw sewage into the Ohio River.
-- O'Hara Township received a $678,000 loan to repair nearly a mile of the township's deteriorated sewer lines that cause discharges of waste into the Allegheny River.
-- West Elizabeth Sanitary Authority received a $1.7 million loan and a $259,013 grant to construct more than a mile of new sanitary sewers and convert the existing lines to storm sewers to eliminate overflows of untreated sewage into the Monongahela River during wet weather.
Butler County
-- Evans City received a $1.9 million loan to construct more than two miles of new sewage collection lines to eliminate the use of malfunctioning on-lot septic systems and also rehabilitate more than a mile of existing sewer lines that leak and cause overloading of the system during wet weather.
Cambria County
-- Cambria Township Sewer Authority received a $1.3 million loan to replace more than a mile of deteriorated sewer lines that allow raw sewage into a tributary of Black Lick Creek during wet weather. The project also will allow a local manufacturer to expand and create 10 new jobs.
Centre County
-- Phillipsburg Borough received a $6.4 million loan to construct nearly eight miles of sewer collection lines and house laterals to eliminate the inflow of water into the borough's sewer system that occurs during wet weather and causes the discharge of raw sewage into Cold Stream Creek and Moshannon Creek.
Jefferson County
-- Winslow Township received a $2.3 million loan and a $265,483 grant to install more than five miles of sanitary gravity and force mains to eliminate the use of malfunctioning on-lot septic systems that are contaminating local groundwater sources in the Village of Soldier.
Lawrence County
-- Mahoning Township received an $8.4 million loan and a $1 million grant to construct a new wastewater treatment plant, more than 20 miles of collection lines and other facilities to serve 550 residential customers in the township, nearly half of whose on-lot septic systems are malfunctioning. In addition, this project is anticipated to lead to the creation of 1,500 new jobs and more than $500 million in private investment in this area.
Mercer County
-- Living Word Christian Center received a $67,415 loan to construct a small-flow wastewater treatment facility to replace two malfunctioning on-lot septic systems that currently discharge sewage that seeps to the surface and causes a local public health problem.
Mifflin County
-- Newton-Wayne Joint Municipal Authority received a $8.4 million loan and a $1.2 million grant to construct more than 14 miles of wastewater sewer mains, three pump stations and other facilities, along with the decommissioning of an existing overloaded treatment plant to convey waste to two neighboring communities and thus eliminate raw sewage discharges into local streams and groundwater.
Schuylkill County
-- West Mahanoy Township received a $6.6 million loan and a $526,362 grant to construct a new sewage treatment facility, approximately seven miles of gravity sewers and low pressure collection lines and other facilities that will eliminate the use of wildcat sewers and malfunctioning on-lot septic systems that are discharging raw sewage into publicly accessible areas.
Warren County
-- Columbus Township General Authority received a $156,050 loan to install nearly a mile of gravity and force mains to serve 29 homes whose on-lot septic systems are malfunctioning.
-- Sheffield Township received a $725,000 loan to design upgrades to the township's wastewater treatment plant, new collection lines and a new pump station to eventually eliminate overloading of the treatment plant as well as malfunctioning on-lot septic systems. The project will also allow the expansion of two businesses that will create 22 new jobs.
Washington County
-- Vestaburg-New Hill Joint Authority received a $2.9 million loan and a $395,356 grant to install more than six miles of new sewage collection lines and 141 manholes to eliminate the wet weather discharge of untreated sewage into Fishpot Run, a tributary of the Monongahela River.
Westmoreland County
-- West Leechburg Borough received a $400,000 loan to install more than a mile of new sewage collection lines and storm sewers in the Hillville area of the borough to eliminate the wet weather discharge of untreated sewage into the Kiskiminetas River.
CONTACT:
Paul Marchetti, PENNVEST
717-783-4496
Barry Ciccocioppo
717-783-1116
SOURCE Pennsylvania Office of the Governor
