Aqua Pennsylvania receives $13.7 from PENNVEST for two Northeast Pennsylvania Wastewater Treatment Projects
Funding is part of nearly $30 million in PENNVEST grants and low-interest loans the company has secured to serve its customers across the Commonwealth.
BRYN MAWR, PA (October 18, 2023) – Aqua Pennsylvania announced today it has secured funding through the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority (PENNVEST) to complete wastewater treatment plant improvements to ensure clean, safe, reliable wastewater service in its Luzerne and Wyoming Counties service area.
Aqua received approval for low-interest loans up to $7.8 million for its Laurel Lakes Wastewater Treatment Plan in Rice Township, Luzerne County and up to $5.9 million to improve the Rivercrest Wastewater Treatment Plant in Tunkhannock Township, Wyoming County. Both projects will be used to improve or replace existing equipment that is nearing the end of its service life and improve treatment plant reliability.
The low-interest loans are part of Aqua’s efforts to obtain alternate funding sources that balance the need for extensive infrastructure investment—especially given rising costs and evolving regulatory requirements to maintain wastewater systems—with customer costs.
“We appreciate PENNVEST’s board and staff for their continued support and for this funding, which helps us protect public health and the environment by improving critical wastewater infrastructure Wyoming and Luzerne counties,” said Aqua Pennsylvania President Marc Lucca. “We’ve successfully secured nearly $30 million in PENNVEST funding as part of our ongoing commitment to our customers as we aggressively seek out alternate funding sources to help minimize the cost of infrastructure replacement for Aqua ratepayers.”
In September, Aqua also secured a Susquehanna River Basin Commission grant of $280,000 to support monitoring equipment installation and flow meters at a dam in Shenandoah, PA, which the company acquired in July 2023.
Prior to this round of funding, Aqua Pennsylvania secured more than $16 million from PENNVEST since 2021. This includes two grants to eliminate PFAS, or “forever chemicals,” in three well stations in southeast Pennsylvania, and funding to expand the company’s electric vehicle fleet as part of its aggressive companywide emissions reduction goal.
About Aqua Pennsylvania
Aqua Pennsylvania serves approximately 1.5 million people in 32 counties throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Visit AquaWater.com for more information or follow Aqua on Facebook at facebook.com/MyAquaWater and on Twitter at @MyAquaWater.