PITTSBURGH, PA – Today, the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority (PENNVEST) held a Board Meeting to award loan and grant funding for the latest round of applicants.
Together, Senators Jay Costa, Lindsey Williams, and Wayne Fontana announce that The Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority was awarded a loan of $10,285,765 and a grant of $23,214,235, for a total of $33,500,000. This is anticipated to be Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority’s last residential lead service line replacement project; thus, it will include the remainder of all residential locations in the project water service area. Approximately 828 public and 884 private lead service lines will be replaced in about 3,274 homes.
The work is expected to take place in the neighborhoods of: Garfield, Shadyside, Point Breeze, Squirrel Hill North, Regent Square, Greenfield, Swisshelm Park, Brighton Heights, Manchester, Duquesne Heights, Allentown, South Side Flats, and Mt. Washington.
- FINANCIAL IMPACT: This is an existing system and serves 70,061 residential customers with a population of 303,255. This application evaluated the impact on the 1,712 residential customers affected by the project. The population impacted by this project has a median household income level below the state median household income level. Without the PENNVEST grant of $23,214,235 and extended term on their PENNVEST loan of $10,285,765, user fees would expect to increase by an additional 149 percent. The PENNVEST low-interest loan funding will provide the grant-equivalent of $5,725,494 over the life of the loan.
- PUBLIC HEALTH: Lead service lines will be replaced in a system where the 90th percentile of the sample data from lead-sampled sites is at or below the Lead Action Level.
- INFRASTRUCTURE HEALTH: Lead service lines will be replaced along with the utilization of risk mitigation measures.
- COMMUNITY HEALTH: This project proposes to increase water availability and remove lead from the water system.
- COMPLIANCE: The project will ensure the Authority’s compliance with Lead and Copper Rule regulations.
- SOURCE WATER PROTECTION: This water system has a Source Water Protection Plan approved by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.
“Today’s PENNVEST funding announcement is an important step toward guaranteeing that Allegheny County residents have dependable access to clean, safe water,” Senator Costa said. “Investments like this show how state government can deliver real, practical improvements for working families across Pennsylvania. I’m excited to see these resources translated into on-the-ground progress soon.”
“The Pennsylvania Constitution guarantees us all the right to pure water, and that includes our drinking water at home. Replacing aging and dangerous water infrastructure like lead pipes is critical to ensuring that our water is clean and safe,” said Senator Lindsey Williams. “I applaud Pittsburgh Water for working to replace all of its residential lead lines, and I’ve been happy to provide ongoing support for state investments in these projects. Without these PENNVEST loans and grants, customer fees could go up almost 150%, which is unsustainable, especially as utility bills are at an all time high. This is a win for our health and our wallets.”
“I am gratified to see PWSA approaching the conclusion of its project to replace all residential lead service lines,” said Senator Wayne Fontana. “When my legislation became law in 2017 to allow local municipal authorities to access state funding for water pipe replacement, the goal was to provide communities with financial flexibility to ensure our drinking water is safe without relying on rate increases to achieve that. This impactful state investment will directly improve our communities and I was proud to support it.”