Ciresi announces $1.3M in state grants for Pottstown-area sewer infrastructure
Southeast Delegation December 19, 2023 | 2:35 PM
HARRISBURG, Dec. 19 – A believer that a strong infrastructure is the key to building strong communities, state Rep. Joe Ciresi, D-Montgomery, helped secure $1,338,380 in state funding for infrastructure projects in Pottstown and Lower Pottsgrove.
“These important investments to the sewer infrastructure in the Pottstown area will upgrade and modernize essential services, improving reliability while keeping our environment clean,” Ciresi said. “I’m also proud to support our continued progress in making comprehensive repairs to Pottstown’s stormwater arches, ensuring a solid foundation for the town’s ongoing revitalization.”
Funds distributed through the H20 PA Program provide for single-year or multi-year grants to municipalities or municipal authorities to assist with the construction of drinking water, sanitary sewer and storm water projects. Act 54 of 2022 appropriated $205.4 million of American Rescue Plan Act funds to the H2O PA – Water Supply, Sanitary Sewer and Storm Water Projects Program. They include:
- $744,073 for the Borough of Pottstown for a stormwater arch rehabilitation project.
- $212,472 for the Pottstown Borough Authority to purchase and install a diesel generator at the Lower Pump House Pump Station.
Funding for stormwater arch system repairs would help the Borough of Pottstown in rebuilding collapsed arches and performing high priority repairs, as well as doing high priority preventive maintenance to prevent future collapses. Funding from the grant would continue implementing priorities identified in Pottstown Borough's 2021 Storm Sewer Arch Inspection Report, which itself was funded by state grants announced by Ciresi in August 2020. Ciresi had previously announced $500,000 in state funding for stormwater arch repairs last year.
According to Ciresi, the 750-kW diesel generator the Pottstown Borough Authority seeks to install would provide a backup power supply for the pump station. This would allow it to remain operational during power outages, ensuring more reliability for the Pottstown area’s growing population and preventing the discharge of untreated sewage.
Funds distributed through the Small Water and Sewer program provide for small water, sewer and storm system water infrastructure projects. Act 54 of 2022 appropriated $105.6 million of American Rescue Plan Act funds to the PA Small Water and Sewer Program. They include:
- $361,144 to the Lower Pottsgrove Township Authority for the replacement of 1,627 linear feet of sanitary sewer main on Hilltop Road.
According to Ciresi, this funding would replace old pipes and sewer infrastructure that are in poor shape and have struggled to handle periods of strong rainfall. With this investment, the new pipes will reduce inflow and infiltration into the public sanitary sewer system, lower operational costs for the system and protect consumers from rate increases and minimize sanitary sewer overflows that would be potentially detrimental to the environment.