|
| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
| State Rep. Ted Harhai |
|
Harhai says West Newton will receive major funding for sewer overhaul
HARRISBURG, April 27– State Rep. Ted Harhai, D-Westmoreland/Fayette, today offered his congratulations to West Newton Borough officials for acquiring a low-interest loan to revamp the borough's aging and often overwhelmed combined sewage and storm water system.
Harhai said the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority approved the more than $2.8 million loan at a 1 percent interest rate, far lower than it could have been financed through a commercial institution.
"Getting West Newton Borough the financial ability to address the decades-old problems with the sewer has been a priority for me and I'm glad to see everything falling into place to fix it," Harhai said. "The low-interest loan means the upgrade can be accomplished with little, if any impact on sewer fees."
Completion of the project would fulfill the requirements in a 2005 consent order and agreement between the borough and the state Department of Environmental Protection requiring the municipality to address the sewer overflow problems.
The work will include replacement or rehabilitation of more than 2,000 feet of combined sewer and storm drain pipes and fixing infrastructure to better contain overflows.
"Once the project is complete, we should see a dramatic reduction in wet weather overflows in the system and an overall reduction in the amount of sewage that ends up in the Youghiogheny River," added Harhai. "The results will be better protection of public health and better safeguarding of the environment, especially of the Youghiogheny.
Work is scheduled to begin Aug. 1 and will take approximately one year to complete.
###