HARRISBURG, Pa. — Two Northampton County communities will be getting a cut of a broader $274 million infrastructure investment from state and federal leadership.
More than $5.5 million is set to go toward non-point source projects in Bethlehem Township, and over $2 million will cover wastewater improvements in Bangor Borough, according to a Wednesday news release from Gov. Josh Shapiro’s office.
The governor said this funding emphasizes his administration’s view on access to clean water as being a constitutional right for everyone statewide.
“Thanks to our federal partners in the Biden Administration and the hard work of PENNVEST, $12 billion has been invested to safeguard our clean water infrastructure and the health and safety of Pennsylvanians, and we’ll continue to drive this funding out to ensure Pennsylvanians have safe, clean water,” Shapiro said.
The Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority, or PENNVEST, will be facilitating the projects, and the ones in Northampton County are just two of 30 across the state.
The money comes from a mix of voter-approved funds, Growing Greener funds, Marcellus Legacy funds, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act stimulus funding, EPA federal grants to PENNVEST and recycled loan repayments from previous PENNVEST awards, the release reports.
Easton Avenue upgrades
The Bethlehem Township Municipal Authority was approved for a $5,517,000 loan for storm water improvements along Easton Avenue.
These are set to include retrofitting three storm water detention basins and creating a fourth, brush and debris clearing, measures to control erosion, sediment removal and bioretention seeding to name a few.
“The project addresses a critical safety hazard by mitigating the risks associated with frequent flooding. These measures also directly address water quality issues impacting Nancy Run and the Lehigh River.”The office of Gov. Josh Shapiro
“The project addresses a critical safety hazard by mitigating the risks associated with frequent flooding,” the news release states.
“These measures also directly address water quality issues impacting Nancy Run and the Lehigh River.”
Sewer plant work in Bangor
Grading inconsistencies at the Bangor Borough Sewer Authority plant can cause issues when wet weather and flooding bring hydraulic overload and effluent limitation.
This also can lead to problems for Bangor and nearby Martin’s Creek, Roseto and Washington Township.
An approved loan for $2,094,727 will be used to address this along with “inadequate, failing, and aged” equipment.
That equipment to be replaced includes two headworks pumps, drive-controlled pumps, a control-and-monitoring system at the digester building and even the installation of a 569,000-gallon equalization tank and effluent flow meter.
