HARRISBURG – Sen. Michele Brooks and Rep. Tedd Nesbit announced that the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority (PennVEST) has just approved a $2.9 million grant and $2.6 million low-interest loan for Stoneboro Borough, and a $10.9 million low-interest loan for Grove City Borough, to improve decaying and overloaded infrastructure.
“In order for our area to grow responsibly, we need to ensure that our infrastructure can appropriately handle more users,” Rep. Nesbit said. “This financing will allow for necessary safety and capacity upgrades to the plant, without passing the entire burden onto existing ratepayers.”
Specifically, the Grove City project and its $10,980,200 loan will be used to rehabilitate and expand the overloaded wastewater treatment plant. Phase II will involve the replacement of an existing reservoir pump station that is more than 80 years old. The current distribution system still has several asbestos-cement and steel water mains that date back to the 1930s. Pipe breaks occur frequently, and several mains are too narrow to handle demand. An estimated 16,000 feet of asbestos cement pipes are still being used, long past their life expectancy.
For the Stoneboro project, with its loan amount of $2,624,279 and grant of $2,965,721, the borough plans to replace and upsize existing sections of the distribution system with PVC pipe, replace an existing reservoir with a 500,000-gallon holding capacity and an overflow with a de-chlorination system, as well as replace an existing pump station building.
“Without these projects, growth in the region could be limited, and the county, school district and surrounding townships could lose $3.5 million a year in revenues for the next 10 years, according to a recent market analysis performed on behalf of Springfield Township,” Sen. Brooks said. “These low-interest loans and grants help make it possible for our communities to address such large infrastructure projects.”
“Rep. Nesbit and I appreciate the support of the PennVEST Board, our local authorities, and our other local officials for helping to bring these projects to fruition,” she added.
“The financing options offered by PennVEST, which is supported by state and taxpayer investments, help to enhance economic development opportunities that seek to benefit the entire region,” Rep. Nesbit said. “The most effective way to bring jobs to our area is making sure that we have the effective and safe infrastructure already in place for both job creators and current industries to expand.”
Contact:
Diane McNaughton (717) 787-1322 dmmcnaughton@pasen.gov
Jennifer Keaton (717) 705-2094 jkeaton@pahousegop.com