Hermitage MA Receives $13.78 Million Loan

PENNVEST Funding toward wastewater plant expansion and upgrades

The Hermitage Municipal Authority will receive a $13.78 million low-interest loan from the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority (PENNVEST), according to Senator Bob Robbins (R-50) and Representative Mark Longietti (D-7).

PENNVEST awarded the loan at its board meeting today.

The authority will apply the funding toward the anticipated $18.2 million cost of a long-term capital improvement project that will expand the capacity of the existing Bobby Run Water Pollution Control Plant from 5 million gallons-per-day to 7.7 million gallons-per-day. The project also includes facility upgrades that will allow the plant to accept biodegradable waste from restaurants and grocery stores, including grease trap waste.

"Currently, Hermitage is under a consent order to upgrade its wastewater treatment plant," Senator Robbins said. "This project will enable the authority to meet that obligation and install the necessary equipment to harness gas to produce electricity. Based on the Authority’s engineering studies, the process will provide enough electricity to completely operate the wastewater treatment plant and still have extra to put back into the electric grid."

"This is truly a great investment by PENNVEST," said Representative Longietti. "The expansion will enable the treatment plant to meet the needs of the community and bring it into compliance with state requirements. In addition, other benefits of this project include waste reduction to landfills and, of course, electrical power generation for resale."

Previously, the Hermitage Municipal Authority has received a $1 million Commonwealth Financing Authority H2O PA grant, a $375,000 DEP Innovative Technology Grant, and a $350,000 PA Green Energy Works Grant for the project.

Contact:

Michael Hengst
(717) 787-1322