The state provided $14.6 million in low-interest loans to two dam repair projects in Lackawanna County.
The funding from Pennsylvania Instrastructure Investment Authority (Pennvest) includes a pair of $7.3 million loans to Pennsylvania American Water for dam rehabilitation projects at drinking-water reservoirs in Lackawanna County — the Marshwood Dam in Olyphant and the Maple Lake Dam in Spring Brook Township.
Both of these projects will increase capacity and decrease the risk of dam failures from floods via improvements to the outlet system. Those upgrades will include: installation of a 30-inch diameter pipe to bypass a weir structure; installation of a seepage collection system in the embankment of the dam; and a flattening of the embankment to increase stability in rapid drawdowns or “probable maximum flood” events, according to the state.
The projects will bring the dams into compliance with current safety practices by upgrading the outlet works and spillways, PAW said in a statement. The interest terms for both loans are 1% for the first five years and 1.743% for the remainder of the 20-year loan period, according to the water company.
“At Pennsylvania American Water, we strive to provide our customers with high-quality, reliable water and wastewater services while also meeting environmental standards and state and federal regulations. We’re thankful to Pennvest for approving our funding request that will support us in that mission,” PAW Vice President of Engineering Tony Nokovich said in a statement. “These projects will have a positive impact on the service provided for our customers by enabling us to continue our efforts to improve water and wastewater infrastructure across the state.”
Meanwhile, Pennvest also provided to PAW a $3.7 million grant and a $1.1 million loan for remediation and treatment of “forever chemicals” of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) at the Summit Point Well serving Mount Pocono Borough and Coolbaugh Township in Monroe County. This project will remove PFAS and limit iron and manganese from the drinking water system there.
The funding awards were part of $222.2 million in Pennvest assistance statewide announced Tuesday by the administration of Gov. Josh Shapiro for 31 drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater projects in 21 counties. The projects also include replacing lead service lines, rehabilitating aging systems, upgrading service capabilities and reducing environmental contaminants through compliance with current regulatory levels.
Pennvest funding for water improvement projects originates from a combination of state funds approved by voters, Growing Greener funds, Marcellus Legacy funds, the Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act, federal grants from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under the Clean Water Act and the Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments, and recycled loan repayments from previous Pennvest funding awards, according to the state announcement.
The Marshwood Dam at the Marshwood Reservoir in Olyphant on Moosic Mountain near the Keystone Sanitary Landfill in Dunmore. (IMAGE SCREEN COPY / GOOGLE)
Maple Lake and its dam in Spring Brook Township, near Routes 690, 307 and 380. (IMAGE SCREEN COPY / GOOGLE)
Maple Lake in Spring Brook Township, Lackawanna County. (IMAGE SCREEN COPY / GOOGLE STREET VIEW)
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The Marshwood Dam at the Marshwood Reservoir in Olyphant on Moosic Mountain near the Keystone Sanitary Landfill in Dunmore. (IMAGE SCREEN COPY / GOOGLE)