By Blake Jackson
The Shapiro Administration has announced a historic $547.1 million investment in 30 drinking water, wastewater, stormwater, and non-point source projects across 23 Pennsylvania counties through the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority (PENNVEST), marking the largest single-round funding in the agency’s history.
The funded projects aim to replace lead service lines, rehabilitate aging infrastructure, upgrade treatment and service capabilities, and reduce environmental contaminants, ensuring that Pennsylvanians have access to safe, clean water.
“Every Pennsylvanian has a constitutional right to clean air and pure water and my Administration is investing historic resources to make sure that right is protected all across our Commonwealth,” said Governor Josh Shapiro.
“PENNVEST-funded projects help communities modernize their water systems, protect public health, and create jobs and working together across party lines and all levels of government, we’re getting stuff done, delivering results for the good people of Pennsylvania, and building a stronger, more resilient future.”
“In just the past five years, PENNVEST has seen an 83 percent increase in demand for water infrastructure funding a clear sign of the need for continued investment across Pennsylvania," Robert Boos, Executive Director of PENNVEST said.
"Our revolving loan model ensures these projects are sustainable for the long term as loans are repaid, those funds are recycled to support future projects. Thanks to this structure, PENNVEST has been able to fully fund every eligible, shovel-ready application since 2015.”
With support from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, PENNVEST now has increased capacity to provide cost-effective financing for essential water quality initiatives.
The program also encourages communities to integrate clean energy solutions such as solar, anaerobic digesters, and hydropower, which reduce long-term operating costs and qualify for Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) tax incentives.
Funding comes from a mix of state-approved funds, Growing Greener and Marcellus Legacy programs, federal grants under the Clean Water Act and Safe Drinking Water Act, IIJA allocations, and recycled loan repayments from prior PENNVEST awards.
The complete list of project summaries is available here.
Photo Credit: gettyimages-zms
Categories: Pennsylvania, Government & Policy