PENNVEST Board Awards $3.05 Million Loan to Steelton Borough Authority for Chlorine Contact Tank Project

At its July 20th meeting, the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority (PENNVEST) Board voted to approve a $3,050,000 low-interest loan to finance the Steelton Borough Authority’s Disinfection Byproduct Removal Project.

PENNVEST funding will provide for the construction of a 230,000 gallon chlorine contact tank at the Steelton Water Filtration Plant. The contact tank is determined to be the most effective way of limiting the formation of disinfection byproducts in drinking water by allowing for post-treatment chlorination. Borough engineers, in consultation with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, believe that this project coupled with current upgrades to the water distribution system will prevent future Tier II disinfection byproduct violations.

Steelton Borough Authority Secretary Doug Brown thanked PENNVEST board members, State Representative Patty Kim, State Senator Mike Folmer, and the Department of Environmental Protection for their commitment to supporting and assisting the Authority in improving its water treatment and delivery system. “The support of our state agencies and elected officials is critical to making the capital and operational changes needed to consistently meet all water quality standards. Improving our water system has truly been a team effort involving borough staff, engineers, Senator Folmer, Representative Kim, the Authority Board, PENNVEST, and DEP staff,” Brown said, “We have come a long way since the issues of 2014 because everyone has stepped up to the plate.”

The construction of the chlorine contact tank is expected to be completed by summer 2017. It is part of a number of current projects aimed at improving the Steelton water system.