Montgomery County benefits from $284.2 million in PENNVEST funds statewide. In Lansdale, the seven-figure loan aims to overhaul the borough’s sanitary sewer system
Plans to institute vital upgrades to Lansdale’s sanitary sewer system and a stream bank restoration project took a step forward after borough officials received a $3 million investment in state dollars.
The Montgomery County borough was among 20 counties selected to receive funds from the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority to further the revitalization of aged stormwater, water and wastewater systems, according to a statement from Gov. Josh Shapiro’s office. The agency’s $284.2 million is expected to assist localities with 33 different projects.
“It’s always exciting when we have the opportunity to invest in ourselves and to improve the infrastructure that underpins our whole community. It lifts the community up,” Lansdale Borough Councilman Garry Herbert said in a Wednesday afternoon phone interview.
In Lansdale, the seven-figure loan aims to overhaul the borough’s sanitary sewer system. Herbert stressed the improvements were “just frankly necessary,” and the infusion will aid borough officials in what’s considered to be a costly undertaking.
“These are critical infrastructure upgrades that the borough has needed for some time now, and if you look across the region — the Northeast as a whole — you’ll find that most communities are trying to find ways to upgrade their sewer infrastructure at this time because it’s reaching the end of its useful life, and Lansdale’s no exception to that,” Herbert said.
Lansdale Borough Manager John Ernst commented in a statement: “The award of this funding represents a significant investment in Lansdale Borough’s infrastructure and long-term resilience. It enables the borough to proactively address critical system needs, strengthen environmental stewardship, and enhance public health and safety. Just as importantly, it allows these improvements to move forward without placing additional burden on local taxpayers, supporting the community’s continued stability and quality of life.
Herbert added that once completed these “critical upgrades” will help “make the system viable” over the next century.
The project’s scope is anticipated to encompass the “open-cut replacement of 860 feet of 8-inch, 10-inch and 12-inch sanitary sewer mains, 15 manholes, 1,330 feet of existing lateral connections, 2,565 feet of cured-in-place lining, manhole rehabilitation, and associated roadway restoration” along Edgemont and North Cannon avenues as well as Poplar and West Third streets, according to a statement from Shapiro’s office.
“It is no small task to remove a sewer line or to upgrade a sewer line,” Herbert said. “You have to really go all the way down into the very base of the roadway itself into the structure itself and then rebuild from there.
“Every time we touch these sewer lines, it’s a sizable investment, and so that additional $3 million will allow us … really rebuild those streets that have needed readjustment and improvement for an extended period of time,” he continued.
While the timeline associated with the project was unclear, state officials said “these upgrades will decrease structural instability, system backups, roadway settlement, groundwater infiltration, and excessive flows to the borough’s wastewater treatment plant.”
Additionally, a $1 million low-interest loan will further the restoration of an “unnamed tributary” on the Neshaminy Creek’s west branch. Efforts are expected to focus on “riparian restoration and lawn-to-meadow conversions” in order to “increase infiltration, reduce runoff velocities, and lower long-term maintenance needs,” according to state officials. Stormwater improvements could be reduced by 34,500 pounds per year.
“As climate change brings increasingly frequent flooding and severe weather to our region, it’s crucial to invest in our water, sewer and stormwater infrastructure to keep our communities safe and thriving,” state Sen. Maria Collett, D-12th Dist. said in a statement.
“Strengthening our water and stormwater systems is vital to protecting public health and safety,” said state Rep. Steve Malagari, D-53rd Dist. in a statement. “These projects will deliver real, lasting benefits for the people of Lansdale by protecting the environment and minimizing flooding.
More than $1.6 billion has been invested to further 140 projects in 45 counties since July 2025, according to PENNVEST Executive Director Robert Boos.
“Every Pennsylvanian has a constitutional right to pure water and my Administration is continuing that work by investing in projects that protect public health, modernize drinking water infrastructure, and support local economies,” Shapiro said.. “We’re investing in dozens of projects all across the Commonwealth to ensure more Pennsylvanians have clean, reliable drinking water when they turn on the tap.”
This article appears courtesy of a content share agreement between Fideri News Network and The Reporter. To read more stories like this, visit https://www.thereporteronline.com
