Brackenridge officials will get $6 million in help from the state to address problems at the borough’s water plant flagged by the Department of Environmental Protection.
The borough’s water is safe to drink, according to DEP spokesman Brandon Glass.
Concerns are for the lack of automatic shut-offs for low chlorine levels or low storage tank levels, Glass said.
“State environmental regulations require these automatic shutdown capabilities to ensure that drinking water entering the distribution system is adequately disinfected and treated for Giardia, even overnight when the plant is not staffed,” Glass said.
Concerns about water turbidity, or cloudiness, also will be tackled as part of the upcoming project which mandates the installation of new electrical and control systems.
“The work primarily consists of site piping improvements for the clear well and on-site distribution storage tanks to provide automatic shutdown capabilities,” engineer Gordon Taylor said in an email.
Work will begin in the fall and is expected to be completed by May 2026.
The borough was awarded a $2.1 million grant and a $3.8 million low-interest loan through the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority (PENNVEST) to pay for the work. The 1% loan has a 30-year repayment.
PENNVEST is a financing authority that provides help to address sewer, stormwater and drinking water projects.
Mayor Lindsay Fraser said the loan repayment will be funded by water sales revenue, not taxes.
Council thanked state Sen. Lindsey Williams, D-North Hills, and state Rep. Mandy Steele, D-Fox Chapel, for their efforts in securing the money, which were among more than $242 million announced last month by the Shapiro administration for 32 drinking water and wastewater projects across the state.
“This means clean water for Brackenridge,” Steele said.
“Driving funding of this size to the district is unheard of, but it’s desperately needed.”
In June, the borough agreed to the consent order after a DEP inspection showed issues with water monitoring at the plant.
Taylor said at that time that the water turbidity was not a concern and instead called it an operational issue.
Most water plants, he said, have a single line where water enters the clearwell. It is scanned by a monitor that sounds an alarm if the water becomes too dense, which could indicate impurities.
The borough’s plant is an aged system with six lines that enter the clearwell. Not all of the lines have a monitor.
Taylor said in an email Friday that work will replace aging mechanisms with modern, efficient equipment. It includes a new flocculation tank with flash mixing and demolition of the exterior circular clarifier. Repairs will be made to the backwash equalization chamber and piping, along with general electrical and control system improvements.
The project will see new turbidimeters and about 620 feet of piping, according to the state.
“These improvements will bring us into compliance with PA-DEP regulations, allowing us to be more efficient and safe in our operations at the water plant,” Fraser said.