Construction will begin in April on the replacement of a water storage tank in Richland Borough.
The new 500,000-gallon elevated water tank will replace the existing standpipe tank, which will be bypassed and taken out of service after the new tank is installed.
The existing standpipe tank cannot supply water to the entire borough, with some areas supplied directly from a reservoir. The new tank, on the other hand, will maintain more constant water pressure throughout the system and be able to supply water from the reservoir to the entire borough.
The standpipe tank has also reached the end of its useful life, officials said.
Township engineer James Kinney with Becker Engineering said that the benefits to the new tank are redundancy for the existing reservoir.
“Having the new tank with a large storage of water located in the borough provides a reliable supply of water in case of a break in the transmission main from the reservoir,” said Kinney. “The new tank also increases the volume of water available for fire suppression.”
The total cost of the project is $5.1 million.
A $1 million grant was awarded to the project by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
An additional $4.1 million in low-interest financing was awarded by the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority (PENNVEST). With below-market interest rates ranging from 1.743% to 2.179% over the 20-year loan period, the PENNVEST financing is equivalent to a $1.2 million grant.
State legislators have lauded the replacement project.
“Ensuring that the state’s infrastructure is operational is a key function of government, and I’m pleased that this funding is dedicated to that purpose,” said state Sen. Chris Gebhard (R-48) in a press release.
“I’m thankful PENNVEST saw the importance of this worthwhile project,” said state Rep. Russ Diamond (R-102) in a separate release.
Construction is scheduled to begin in April and conclude in August 2026. The existing standpipe tank will be removed at a later date.
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