Matzie: More than $3 million secured to remove and replace lead service lines in Aliquippa’s water system

Will fund project to replace 275 lead lines with copper lines

AMBRIDGE, Oct. 20 – State funding of more than $3.1 million will allow the city of Aliquippa to continue eliminating a potential lead risk in the city’s drinking water, state Rep. Rob Matzie, D-Beaver/Allegheny, announced today.

Matzie said the new funding from the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority will finance the second phase of a project to remove and replace lead service lines – work made necessary after testing revealed concerning lead levels in some residents’ drinking water.

“After water sampling in 2020 showed lead in residents’ drinking water, replacing the system’s lead service lines with copper lines became an immediate priority,” Matzie said. “In spring, we secured initial funding to replace 184 lines. That was a step in the right direction, but more work remains to eliminate the threat to all residents.

“Securing this additional $3 million will allow the water authority to replace 275 lead service lines, including the lines on the customers’ side. People need to be able to put concerns over the safety of their drinking water behind them, and this funding brings us one step closer to that.”

Matzie said the funding to the Municipal Water Authority of Aliquippa includes a combination of $1.9 million in grant funding and a $1.2 million low-interest loan and that without it, residents would have faced an estimated 3% increase in user fees.

In April, Matzie secured $2 million for the project’s first phase.