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EPA awards $4 million grant to help upgrade Wilkes-Barre sewers

Release Date: 02/06/2007
Contact Information: Roy Seneca (215) 814-5567

PHILADELPHIA – The U. S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded a $4 million grant to the Wyoming Valley Sanitary Authority to help prevent untreated sewage from overflowing into the Susquehanna River from the sewage system in Wilkes-Barre, Pa.

“Old, inadequate sewer systems can be a major cause of water pollution in many communities. By supporting improvements to the Wyoming Valley Sewer Authority’s treatment system, we can help protect the Susquehanna River and Chesapeake watershed and public health,” said Donald S. Welsh, administrator for EPA’s mid-Atlantic region.

The authority will use the funds to help pay for new sewer lines along Ross and Market streets and improve the authority’s sewage collection system, which serves more than 30 municipalities. The improvements are needed to help alleviate sewage overflows into the Susquehanna River that occur during wet weather.

The upgrades will help improve water quality of the Susquehanna River and Chesapeake Bay watershed, and help protect the public from problems associated with sewage overflows.
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