Jan. 12, 2023
HARRISBURG – Rep. Robert Leadbeter (R-Columbia) said today the Benton Municipal Water and Sewer Authority will receive state funding to upgrade its drinking water system to help ensure public safety.
“The Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority (PENNVEST) met this morning and approved a $529,000 state grant and a $1.8 million low-interest loan for improvements at the Benton Municipal Water and Sewer Authority,” said Leadbeter. “The funding will enable the municipal authority to outfit the system with alarms that would trigger an automatic shutdown if preset levels for clarity are not met or residual chlorine setpoints are exceeded.”
The funding will also provide for a metering station and a second water storage tank to be installed downstream. The metering vault would be located between the two tanks and would ensure that all water reaching the second tank complies with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP) clean drinking water standards and could be isolated from the treatment plant without depressurizing the system.
“The project aims to ensure our water is clean and safe to drink,” said Leadbeter. “It will bring Benton into compliance with DEP requirements for water quality monitoring, and the automatic shutdown of facilities will prevent the delivery of improperly treated water to residents in the event of a system malfunction.”
Residential user rates are not expected to increase as a result of this funding package.