Allegheny County − January 22, 2025 − Today, State Senator Wayne Fontana announced $26,056,876 in PENNVEST funding was awarded to the Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority (PWSA) for water infrastructure upgrades.
“Access to clean and reliable drinking water is essential to our communities’ health and safety, as well as to the overall quality of life for the people of Western Pennsylvania,” said Senator Fontana. “As I have said before, replacing our area’s aging water infrastructure is a priority of mine and I was proud to support the ongoing state funding of this project.”
PWSA will receive $13,094,287 in direct funding and $12,962,589 in loans to replace 1,680 lead service lines in several city neighborhoods, including the North Side and Mount Washington.
Since 2020, Sen. Fontana has secured over half a billion dollars in PENNVEST investment for communities in his district.
In total, PENNVEST announced thirty-nine awards today totaling over $285.7 million in grants and loans to water infrastructure projects across the state. Thanks to the work of Sen. Fontana, thousands of dated lead water pipes that connect homes and businesses to water mains have been replaced across Pennsylvania.
Sen. Fontana’s legislation, passed by the General Assembly in 2017, allows local municipal authorities to access state funding for sewer and waterline repairs. Act 44 of 2017, which included the language from his Senate Bill 656, provides communities more options and flexibility to fund these kinds of water infrastructure projects, while saving local taxpayer dollars.
PENNVEST serves communities and citizens of Pennsylvania by funding sewer, storm water, and drinking water projects. These projects not only contribute to improving Pennsylvania’s environment and the health of its people, but also provide opportunities for economic growth and jobs for Pennsylvania’s workers. More information is available on the PENNVEST website: https://www.pa.gov/en/agencies/pennvest.
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