The Shapiro administration announced that Pennsylvania American Water was awarded two low-interest loans and a grant from the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority (PENNVEST) totaling $19.3 million. This funding will support two infrastructure improvement projects, including upgrading wastewater treatment plants and replacing lead water services lines in McKean and Allegheny counties.
A PENNVEST loan of $15.2 million will be for supporting capital projects at the company’s Kinzua Road Wastewater Treatment Plant in Kane Borough, McKean County, to improve multiple aspects of the plant’s operations, including preliminary treatment, UV disinfection, aeration, and dewatering and sludge handling.
These alterations will allow the plant to increase its peak wet weather flow capacity from 3.5 million gallons per day (MGD) to 5.25 MGD and reduce the quantity of combined sewer overflow bypass events. And the funding will also support upgrades to the plant’s electrical and technology systems.
Another $2,462,153 loan and grant of $1,637,847 will fund a project to replace 250 identified lead water service lines in Homestead Borough, Allegheny County. And the removal of all leaded components will provide direct water quality improvements to customers and is consistent with regulatory and Pennsylvania American Water initiatives to eliminate lead-containing lines from the public water supply system.
The loan terms for the Kinzua Road Wastewater Treatment Plant project are 1% for the whole 30-year loan period. And for the Homestead Borough lead service line replacement project loan, the terms are 1% for the first five years and 1.743% for the remainder of the 20-year loan period.
Pennsylvania American Water – a subsidiary of American Water – is the largest regulated water utility in the state, providing high-quality and reliable water and wastewater services to approximately 2.3 million people.
KEY QUOTE:
“At Pennsylvania American Water, we strive to provide our customers with high-quality, reliable water and wastewater services while also meeting environmental standards and regulations. We’re thankful to PENNVEST for approving funding requests for projects that will support us in those efforts. This funding will have a positive impact on the service provided for many of our customers by enabling us to continue our efforts to remove lead service lines and also to repair aging wastewater infrastructure.”
– Pennsylvania American Water Interim Vice President of Engineering Tony Nokovich
