October 27, 2017 – The Allegheny County Sanitary Authority Board of Directors has completed its second round of funding for the innovative work that began earlier this year when ALCOSAN launched its Green Revitalization of Our Waterways program.
The board approved $9 million in grants for 29 projects that make up Cycle II of the GROW program, instituted to reduce the volume of sewer overflows within the ALCOSAN system. Together, these projects in 25 municipalities, including four neighborhoods in the City of Pittsburgh, will remove nearly 39 million gallons of stormwater and ground water from the ALCOSAN system annually. Grants were awarded in Phase I for 30 projects that will remove nearly 70 million gallons.
The latest grants, approved Thursday, October 26, are for green infrastructure projects of the Pittsburgh Water & Sewer Authority. One project each was approved for the South Side, Hill District, Point Breeze and Oakland.
In addition, the ALCOSAN board approved the other 25 projects in September.
A list of all recipients and a summary of all of the projects is attached.
“ALCOSAN is gratified by the interest in the GROW program that is demonstrated by the volume of applications from our customer municipalities,” said Board Chair Sylvia Wilson. “We are very pleased to make this second round of awards, and we look forward to continuing success going forward into 2018.”
ALCOSAN created the GROW program in 2016 and immediately began working with its 83 member municipalities and municipal sewer authorities that send wastewater to its treatment facility. Any municipality or municipal sewer authority within the ALCOSAN service area is eligible for GROW grants. The third phase will begin in February 2018, and ALCOSAN already is scheduling information meetings to assist municipalities that need it for the application process.
The grants may be used to install green storm water reduction technology, remove streams from the sewer system, reduce the amount of water seeping in through groundwater or separate out storm sewers. In addition to new projects, some completed projects that were constructed after 2014 also were eligible for consideration for reimbursement.
In Cycle II, municipalities and authorities submitted letters of interest for 45 projects. Of those, 42 were invited to submit formal applications. In all, 40 applications were submitted, and 29 projects have been approved for significant financial contributions from ALCOSAN. Grants range from 25 percent of eligible costs to as much as 85 percent, based on the cost-efficiency in removing gallons of overflow. Under terms of their agreements with ALCOSAN, the recipients will be required to make sure the effectiveness of the projects is monitored and that the improvements are maintained long-term.
In addition to financial support, ALCOSAN provides technical expertise and other assistance to municipalities for the projects, all with the aim of removing unnecessary stormwater and ground water from the system because it triggers unsanitary overflows
The GROW program is an essential part of ALCOSAN’s long-term, green-first plan to create cleaner waterways in compliance with regulations of the federal Clean Water Act and the Pennsylvania Clean Streams Law and to help the municipalities in the ALCOSAN system fulfill their responsibilities under the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and the Allegheny County Health Department.
GROW CYCLE II Awards Summaries
GROW CYCLE II Map