Harkins, Merski: $10M awarded to deliver cleaner, affordable water for Erie families
Rep. Patrick J. Harkins October 21, 2026 | 2:14 PM
ERIE, Oct. 21 – State Reps. Pat Harkins and Bob Merski, both Erie Democrats, announced today that the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority approved $10 million to back Phase 6 of Erie’s customer-side galvanized service line replacement, supporting a system that serves tens of thousands of households across the city and nearby municipalities.
“Clean water isn’t a luxury; it’s a necessity,” Harkins said. “This funding helps us deliver it fairly, with upgrades that won’t break household budgets.
“This support gets us one step closer to finishing the job by taking out remaining old lines and giving families the confidence they deserve.”
“Without this award, households in the project area faced a potential double-digit rate shock,” Merski said. “With PENNVEST’s support, we can complete Phase 6 responsibly — replacing 1,250 connections and handling excavation and restoration — while keeping water affordable and focusing first on communities below the statewide median income.”
The PENNVEST awards will fund Phase 6 of the Customer-Side Galvanized Service Line Replacement. This includes replacing approximately 1,250 private-side galvanized service connections, including about 1,138 residential and 112 nonresidential connections that were formerly located downstream of previously removed lead goosenecks and other lead components. Work includes private-side service line replacement, excavation, backfill and surface restoration, with priority given to neighborhoods where median household incomes are below the statewide median.
The authority’s system serves approximately 56,798 households in the city of Erie; the boroughs of McKean and Wesleyville; and the townships of Greene, Harborcreek, Lawrence Park, McKean, Millcreek and Summit, with bulk service to Fairview and Summit township water authorities.
PENNVEST funds sewer, stormwater and drinking water projects across Pennsylvania. Its low-cost financial assistance helps make the water consumed every day by thousands of Pennsylvanians safe to drink.