HARRISBURG – State Rep. Carl Walker Metzgar (R-Somerset/Bedford) and Senator Pat Stefano (R-Fayette/Somerset/Westmoreland) today announced that the Windber Area Authority and Indian Lake Borough have been awarded two loans totaling over $2.5 million from the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority (PENNVEST). Of the total, $1.57 million will go to Indian Lake Borough, while the remaining $940,000 will go to the Windber Area Authority.
Indian Lake Borough will use its loan of $1.57 million for the rehabilitation and addition of wells, waterlines and water storage tanks in its water system. The project will involve the rehabilitation of a well, construction of a new pressure filter treatment plant, and the removal of one well from service. Additionally, the project will put into service a new well and install approximately 7,000 feet of waterline to connect a well to the existing waterline. Finally, a 200,000-gallon water storage tank will be constructed.
“I’m very happy to see these funds being allocated to Indian Lake Borough and the Windber Area Authority. While many people are choosing to stay home more than we otherwise would, our water systems are incredibly important, perhaps more so than ever,” said Metzgar. “These grants will go a long way toward rehabilitating, and adding to, our existing systems to ensure efficient delivery of safe water for our residents.”
The Windber Area Authority will use its loan of $940,000 for upgrades and additions to the Clear Shade Water Tanks. This project will involve the construction of a new 511,000-gallon water storage tank next to the existing Clear Shade Tank No. 1, which is equal in size. Once completed, work will begin on rehabilitation for the existing tank. The new tank will provide redundancy, excess capacity and fire protection, and will also allow for continual service to customers while the existing tank is out of service for rehabilitation.
“Clean water is extremely important to the health and economy of a community, but these systems are expensive to maintain,” added Stefano. “This PENNVEST funding is crucial to bringing our water system into compliance and protecting water supplies for area residents. It will also ensure that user fees don’t increase dramatically to pay for these improvements, which are necessary to ensure the borough meets state requirements for health and safety.”
The loans will be paid back over a term of 20 years, with an interest rate of 1% for the first five years of amortization. After that period, the interest rate rises to 1.743%.
PENNVEST funding comes from a combination of state funds approved by voters, federal grants to PENNVEST from the Environmental Protection Agency and recycled loan repayments from previous PENNVEST funding awards.