HARRISBURG, PA — Pennsylvania officials announced a new, record-setting surge of water infrastructure funding, committing $559.4 million for 36 drinking water, wastewater, stormwater and non-point source projects across 25 counties through the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority, or PENNVEST, in a round that the administration said surpasses October’s historic investment.
The awards target some of the most politically charged and technically urgent threats facing local systems: lead service lines, aging treatment plants, failing sewer networks, chronic flooding, and “emerging contaminants” such as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, commonly known as PFAS.
“Every Pennsylvanian has a constitutional right to clean drinking water — and my Administration is focused on making sure that right is protected all across our Commonwealth,” Gov. Josh Shapiro said, citing projects to replace lead service lines, upgrade plants, and remove PFAS.
PENNVEST Executive Director Robert Boos said the newest round exceeded October’s benchmark not only in total dollars but also in the number of projects and counties represented, calling water infrastructure a foundation for public health, economic growth and environmental stewardship.
Funding for the package comes from a patchwork of state and federal sources, including state funds approved by voters, Growing Greener funds, Marcellus Legacy funds, the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, federal Environmental Protection Agency awards under the Clean Water Act and Safe Drinking Water Act, and recycled repayments from prior PENNVEST loans, the administration said.
A major thread running through the drinking water awards is lead service line removal — a public health priority that has accelerated nationwide as utilities race to meet tightening expectations and rising community pressure.
In Allegheny County, the Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority received a $15,903,876 grant and a $15,606,464 loan to replace about 1,610 public and private lead service lines in the Bloomfield, Shadyside, Highland Park and Central Lawrenceville neighborhoods of Pittsburgh. The Wilkinsburg-Penn Joint Water Authority received a $3,869,961 grant and a $6,130,039 loan for phase four of a broad replacement effort spanning multiple boroughs and townships, with about 1,000 residential lead service lines slated to be swapped for copper.
In Cumberland County, Pennsylvania American Water Co. received a $122,263 grant and a $3,627,737 loan to replace about 384 lead service lines in New Cumberland Borough using trenchless installation, the release said.
Another marquee focus is PFAS removal, as systems confront growing scrutiny over the chemicals’ persistence in the environment and potential health risks.
In Bucks County, Aqua Pennsylvania Inc. received a $1,440,000 grant for PFAS treatment at the Peddler’s View well system, including granular-activated carbon filtration and pump replacements, while Buckingham Township received a $2,435,000 grant for PFAS treatment at Well F-8, including construction of a new treatment building and an 18,000- to 19,000-gallon backwash holding tank tied into the Buckingham Village wastewater treatment plant wet well.
In Chester County, Aqua Pennsylvania received a $913,000 grant for PFAS removal and treatment at the Deer Run well, including installation of anion exchange resin filters, cartridge pre-filters and replacement of the well pump with a variable frequency drive and upgraded electrical controls.
In Montgomery County, Aqua Pennsylvania projects dominated the PFAS portfolio. One award provided a $2,261,518 grant and a $4,503,482 loan for PFAS treatment at the Hunt, Oreland and Flourtown wells, with a combination of anion exchange resin and granular-activated carbon systems and well pump replacements. Another award provided a $955,000 grant for PFAS treatment at the Ivy Ridge wells. A third delivered a $6,830,000 grant for PFAS upgrades at the Meyers, Cranberry 3 and 4, and Rahns wells.
Beyond contaminant removal, the drinking water list also includes projects aimed at system reliability, metering modernization and capacity expansion.
In Lancaster County, the City of Lancaster received a $49,293,000 loan to construct a new 7,200-foot, 42-inch raw water transmission main between the Susquehanna River intake and the water treatment facility, and a new 28,200-foot, 42-inch finished water transmission main between the facility and the Oyster Point Reservoir. Officials said the project will increase resiliency in the distribution system.
In Lehigh County, Catasauqua Borough received a $1,021,000 loan to replace all existing service meters with “smart” metering technology.
In Armstrong County, the Municipal Authority of Buffalo Township received an $8,957,546 loan to expand its water treatment plant, including new raw water pumps, a ballasted flocculation reactor, membrane filtration equipment, a clear well, and electrical upgrades to meet increased demand tied to growth and bulk sales.
In Franklin County, the Mercersburg Water Authority received a $3,845,572 loan for phase two improvements, including abandoning an existing facility and constructing a new iron and manganese removal plant.
The wastewater awards, meanwhile, include some of the largest single-project price tags and the most complex engineering — the kind of work typically invisible to residents until a system fails, overflows, or drives rate increases.
In Philadelphia, the City of Philadelphia received a $149,100,000 loan for upgrades to the Northeast Water Pollution Control Plant aeration system, including replacing blowers with variable frequency drive models tied to automated air-flow controls, replacing slide gates and large butterfly valves, concrete repairs, and power upgrades including a new electrical substation and distribution equipment. The administration said the project will improve secondary treatment effectiveness, address leakage that allows influent to flow into the effluent channel, improve operational safety, and ensure reliable power.
In Dauphin County, Capital Region Water received a $120,000,000 loan under a programmatic financing structure for nine projects over four phases. Phase one centers on rehabilitating primary clarifier tanks at the Advanced Wastewater Treatment Facility in Swatara Township, including concrete repairs, replacement of influent channel gates, and upgrades to pumps and related equipment. Officials said completion of the phases is expected to significantly reduce annual combined sewer overflow volumes and frequencies at permitted outfalls.
In Clearfield County, the BCI Municipal Authority received a $12,476,621 grant and a $7,501,595 loan to replace wastewater treatment capacity in Irvona Borough, constructing a new activated sludge plant using a sequencing batch reactor process with ultraviolet disinfection, sludge processing, and pump station upgrades. The release emphasized variable frequency drives on major motorized equipment and masonry structures designed to ease maintenance.
In Lackawanna County, the Dalton Sewer Authority received a $7,385,680 grant and a $4,324,320 loan to build a new package treatment plant on its existing site, including extended aeration trains, chemical feed for copper removal, tertiary rotating disc filtration, and ultraviolet disinfection to replace chlorination.
Regionalization and extension projects also featured prominently, with officials framing them as solutions to persistent on-lot failures, aging small plants, and gaps that constrain growth.
In Northumberland County, the Milton Regional Sewer Authority received a $16,107,000 loan for an “East End sewer regionalization” project that would consolidate flows from the Potts Grove wastewater treatment plant into Milton’s system, connect hundreds of homes currently reliant on malfunctioning on-lot systems, and install extensive new piping, manholes and a force main. In Centre County, the Osceola Rush Decatur Sewer Authority received a $7,588,690 grant and a $9,211,310 loan to extend sanitary sewer service along the Route 350 corridor, installing about 11 miles of sewer line and four pump stations to serve 245 residential equivalent dwelling units and three commercial units.
Smaller but locally significant wastewater projects ranged from pipe rehabilitation to emergency pumping safeguards.
In Berks County, Pennsylvania American Water received a $2,433,799 loan to rehabilitate the Exeter wastewater collection system, including cured-in-place lining of sewer segments and lateral rehabilitation designed to reduce infiltration and inflow. In Bucks County, the Upper Southampton Municipal Authority received a $1,900,000 loan to improve the Mill Creek pump station with permanently installed diesel-driven backup pumps and control upgrades intended to enhance emergency pumping and regulatory compliance.
In Cambria County, the Hastings Area Sewer Authority received a $783,600 loan to upgrade ultraviolet disinfection at its treatment plant, while the Windber Area Authority received a $9,991,000 loan to build a 3.83 megawatt-hour solar farm at the Ingleside sewage treatment plant, a project the release described as a bid to offset one of the plant’s largest operating expenses: electricity.
The funding package also includes stormwater and non-point source projects — a reminder that water crises are not limited to taps and toilets, but also include flooded roads, eroding streams and infrastructure at risk from shifting flows.
In Monroe County, the Arrowhead Lake Community Association received a $3,500,000 loan to replace or rehabilitate portions of a stormwater system serving a community of 1,192 households, including storm sewer replacement and drainage swale restoration. Officials said the project will eliminate roadway flooding and alleviate a chronic safety hazard.
In Northampton County, the Bethlehem Township Municipal Authority received a $2,200,000 loan for phase one of a flood mitigation project on Easton Avenue involving upgrades to detention basins to function as bioretention facilities and increase storage. A second loan of $3,210,000 would fund restoration along Sculac Stream, including channel rehabilitation with boulder cascades and other structures to control erosion and protect exposed sanitary sewer infrastructure and residential properties.
PENNVEST and the administration stressed that some projects labeled as “grants” are technically structured as principal forgiveness loans under federal programs — meaning they function like grants because repayment is not required — and that some “loans” with terms beyond 20 years equate to bond purchases.
The administration framed the round as both an infrastructure play and a public health intervention, with a mix of large urban systems and smaller authorities addressing issues that range from lead exposure and contaminant removal to overflow prevention and flood risk.
PENNVEST said the funding package draws from a mix of state and federal sources, including voter-approved state funds, Growing Greener and Marcellus Legacy funds, federal infrastructure dollars, and repayments from prior loans.
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