New Kensington water authority among those statewide getting money to replace lead pipes

The Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority has awarded the New Kensington Water Authority a $ 1.7 million grant to replace pipelines in the city and Arnold.

The award includes $ 117 million in funding – grants and soft loans – for water projects recently announced by Governor Tom Wolf. Many of the projects replace supply lines that can affect the quality of drinking water.

The New Kensington City Council grant replaces 326 lines. The project will help reduce leaks in the system and reduce the possibility of lead contaminated water reaching residents.

“The grant will help keep our overall costs down and most importantly, it will bring the edge out of our system,” said James Matta, Authority Manager.

The agency has never exceeded the federal drinking water limit for lead of 15 parts per billion, Matta added.

The agency will replace the side feeders that run from the main line to the curb in scattered locations in New Kensington and Arnold.

If the agency finds a lead waterline running from the curb box to a resident’s home, the agency will also replace it for free, he said.

The authorities will inform the owners of the water pipe replacement project later in the year.

No schedule has been set for the project.

The agency assessed their water system and found that most of the plumbing was in New Kensington and Arnold because of the older homes. Some of these service lines were installed in the early 20th century, Matta said. Wires were no longer used for residential customers from the 1930s, he said.

Younger communities served by the agency, such as Lower Burrell, Upper Burrell, and Allegheny, as well as the Washington townships, have no guidelines, he added.

Other Projects

Other projects in the region that receive state aid for water projects are:

• Derry District City Council received a grant of nearly $ 3 million to replace approximately 170 pipelines that extend from the main waterline to the curbs of residential properties. The project will reduce the possibility of lead contaminated water, replace old distribution lines and help reduce leakage.

• The Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority received a nearly $ 3 million grant and $ 35.6 million loan to replace approximately 25,000 feet of distribution pipes and 592 lead service lines. The project will reduce main water breaks and eliminate lead exposure from 70,481 residential customers.

• The West View Water Authority received a US $ 6.6 million grant to replace 500 leading service lines and associated infrastructure. The project will reduce the possibility of lead contaminated water and provide better water quality for customers.

• The Wilkinsburg-Penn Joint Water Authority received a grant of $ 9.3 million to replace approximately 1,000 pipelines totaling 40,000 feet in length. The project will improve water quality for customers and eliminate the potential for lead contamination.

“The awards given in our communities not only strengthen our clean water facilities, but also address old contaminants such as lead and PFAS (chemical contaminants), which should never endanger the well-being of our children and families,” said Wolf.

The grants and loans were provided through a combination of voter-approved government funds, Growing Greener, Marcellus Legacy Funds, federal Environmental Protection Agency grants, and repayments of recycled loans from previous government grants.

Calls to the Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority were not returned on Monday.

Mary Ann Thomas is a contributor to Tribune Review. You can contact Mary at 724-226-4691, [email protected], or on Twitter.