Waynesburg to receive federal money for wastewater treatment plant
Waynesburg will benefit from a federal investment in rural water infrastructure improvements.
In a Wednesday news release, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced that it will spend $192 million on 71 water infrastructure projects across 29 states as part of the Water and Waste Disposal Loan and Grant program.
According to the release, the funds can be used for drinking water, stormwater drainage or waste disposal systems in rural communities with under 10,000 residents.
Waynesburg will be receive an $11.8 million loan and a $3.7 million grant to upgrade the wastewater treatment plant to “alleviate high flows,” the release said.
The borough plans to build a new plant, according to assistant borough manager Bryan Cumberledge. He said that money will “hopefully” pay for it, along with upgrades to the piping that leads to the plant. The $11.8 million is a 40-year loan, he said.
Cumberledge said the current plant, which is more than 30 years old, serves the entire borough, about 1,448 residential and 41 commercial users.
The new plant would be the same type – a trickling filter plant, he said.
The problem they’re having now, he said, is too much water to treat during large rain events.
“If we get a big rain, the stormwater gets into the sanitary lines and becomes too much volume to treat, and will sometimes overflow into Ten Mile Creek,” Cumberledge said.
He said the state Department of Environmental Protection has allowed the borough “three areas that can discharge during high flows,” into the creek. The new plant will reduce those discharges, he said.