Salisbury: Nearly $10 million secured to replace lead service lines for District 34 residents

Will fund project to replace more than 1,000 lead lines with copper lines

BRADDOCK, Oct. 16 – New funding of $9.9 million will ensure safer drinking water for Legislative District 34 residents whose homes are served by lead water lines, state Rep. Abigail Salisbury announced today.

Salisbury said the funding from the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority – which includes nearly $6.8 million in grant funding – will support a third-phase project to remove and replace 1,060 service lines identified by Wilkinsburg-Penn Joint Water Authority as containing lead.

“No resident should ever have to worry that the water flowing from their tap is endangering their health and the health of their loved ones. But that’s a very real threat wherever lead service lines exist,” Salisbury said. “The new funding will allow Wilkinsburg-Penn Joint Water Authority to eliminate the hazard by replacing more than 1,000 lead lines with copper ones, to bring residents the safe water and peace of mind they deserve.”

Salsbury said the funding to the Wilkinsburg-Penn Joint Water Authority includes nonrepayable grant funding of nearly $6.8 million and a low-interest, 30-year loan of approximately $3.1 million.

The project will consist of the removal and replacement of approximately 1,060 existing lead service lines on either the Wilkinsburg-Penn Joint Water Authority or customer side with approximately 42,400 feet of new ¾-inch copper water service lines and 1,060 curb boxes, plus any needed surface restoration.