Low-interest loans from the state will pay for repairs to deteriorating sewage and water facilities in Lower Burrell, New Kensington and Allegheny Township.
The Municipal Authority of Lower Burrell was awarded $9.55 million through PennVEST funding for the Chartiers Pump Station Project, state officials announced this week.
The loan fully funds the project, city Councilman David Stoltz said.
Lower Burrell’s was one of four authorities in the Alle-Kiski Valley getting about $23.9 million in loans for drinking water and wastewater projects. They were included in $216.3 million in grants and loans PennVEST awarded for 33 projects across 21 counties.
In addition to Lower Burrell, the New Kensington municipal authority received about $3.9 million for work that includes replacing waterlines that are leaking and often breaking on Beamer Avenue, Dugan Way, Willis Road and Fairmont Street.
The Franklin Township Municipal Sanitary Authority, which includes Murrysville and parts of Monroeville and Plum, is getting a $7.6 million loan for rehabilitating its sewage treatment plant. The project will address structural damage, decrease violations and lower utility costs and safety concerns.
The Allegheny Township municipal authority’s $2.9 million loan will fund several sewage system improvements, including extending the sewer on LaBelle Vue Road to connect three homes to the system. Three pump stations will be upgraded while one will be decommissioned.
The upgrades will lower operating and maintenance costs and eliminate malfunctioning on-lot systems causing environmental and health concerns, according to PennVEST.
In Lower Burrell, the Chartiers pump station at the bottom of Edgecliff Road will be completely replaced.
A 1 million-gallon above- ground equalization tank will be added, and the existing associated force main pipe will be rehabilitated.
“The station is going to allow us to eliminate two smaller stations,” Stoltz said. “It basically combines three stations into one.”
The Chartiers pump station is nearly 30 years old and has outdated mechanical and electronic equipment, according to city officials.
It serves 4,450 residential customers.
The upgrade, once complete, ultimately will save ratepayers money by eliminating future repair costs on the aging infrastructure, Stoltz said.
“This is a project where this has to be done,” Stoltz said.
The low-interest loan funding will provide the grant equivalent of roughly $2.88 million over the life of the loan.
State Rep. Jill Cooper, R-Murrysville, said the money will allow Lower Burrell’s authority to provide quality services while minimizing the burden on ratepayers.
“Overall, this is a huge benefit to families and local businesses who have been dealing with inflated costs of products, utilities and services,” Cooper said.
Stoltz said the next step for Lower Burrell is to close on the loan and solicit bids for the project. The city hopes for construction to begin next year and be completed in 2026.
In conjunction with the project, the city anticipates pursuing a rate study conducted by a third party in the upcoming months, Stoltz said.
That, Stoltz said, is “to ensure the community gets the best rates possible.”
State Rep. Abby Major, R-Leechburg, said she was pleased the state was able to assist with the project.
“The Lower Burrell work will help prevent raw and partially treated sewage from entering the area’s waterways during heavy rains,” she said.
Mayor Chris Fabry thanked his state counterparts for their assistance in obtaining funding for the project.
“We can’t thank state Reps. Abby Major and Jill Cooper enough,” he said. “Their continued support for our area is vital to our continued success.”
Staff writer Brian C. Rittmeyer contributed to this report.