Loan will help improve water reliability in Wayne Heights/Rouzerville area

Shawn Hardy, The Record Herald
·2 min read

The Washington Township has plenty of water, but it doesn’t always get where it needs to go as efficiently and reliably as possible.

Improvements have been discussed since at least 2020 by the Washington Township Municipal Authority, which on Wednesday was awarded a $8.4 million loan-interest loan administered by the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority, commonly known as PENNVEST.

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The loan will save WTMA hundreds of thousands of dollars in interest as it installs a dedicated transmission line from the Brookdale Water Treatment Plant to the Pine Hill tank and related work, Andrew Zeigler, managing director, said.

What's planned and why?

WTMA has a patchwork of water systems acquired over the years. It is susceptible to disruptions in service when there is a leak or water is needed for firefighting or other high demand events.

“It’s important for customers to know we are blessed with water, the limiting factor is our infrastructure,” Zeigler said.

Moving water directly from the treatment plant to the 1.27-million-gallon tank before it enters the distribution system will alleviate problems, Zeigler said, noting Pine Hill is the main tank for the Rouzerville/Wayne Heights area.

The work also will prepare WTMA to meet future water demands due growth and development.

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GHD Engineering has started designing the project, but there is no timeline for when the work will be done, Zeigler said.

Why the loan matters

State Sen. Doug Mastriano and Rep. Paul Schemel, Republicans whose districts include Washington Township, both issued press releases about the PENNVEST allocation.

“Residents want to know the water will flow when they turn on their faucets,” Mastriano, said. “These state dollars will ensure Washington Township residents have reliable access to clean water. The state support for this project will reduce the cost and protect customers against expensive rate increases.”

“The Washington Township Municipal Authority has been working a long time to bring this significant improvement to its system,” Schemel said. “The approval of this loan will prove the authority with the resources it needs to continue to ensure an ample supply of clean water to its customers.”

A total of 28 drinking water, wastewater, stormwater and non-point source projects in 20 counties were approved for PENNVEST funding totaling $194.3 million, according to a news release from Gov. Josh Shapiro.

The WTMA is one of 11 in the drinking water category and the only Franklin County project on the list of 28.

This article originally appeared on Waynesboro Record Herald: Washington Township Municipal Authority gets PENNVEST water loan