​Montco Senators Advocate For $350M Water Bill, 'New Deal For PA'

PENNSYLVANIA — Montgomery County lawmakers are at the forefront of a push for statewide clean water initiatives and stormwater infrastructure improvements, part of a larger effort to pass a slate of environmental measures.

On Monday, a pair of state senators who represent parts of the county, Maria Collett and Katie Muth — along with Allegheny County's Lindsey Williams — announced legislation that would allocate $350 million in federal funding to the water effort.

“The waters of our Commonwealth are a shared and Constitutionally protected resource for all Pennsylvanians,” Sen. Muth said in a statement.“While it is our clear legal responsibility to do all that we can to protect these waterways from undue contamination and pollution, it is also just plain common sense."

The money from the American Rescue Plan, part of billions in federal aid disbursed to states following the pandemic, is already in Pennsylvania's pocket. Now, it's a matter of how to use it.

Specifically, the lawmakers want to earmark the $350 million for grant funding thought he Commonwealth Financing Authority. From there, small water and sewage projects like collection, treatment, and disposal of wastewater, handling of industrial waste, and improvements to aging infrastructure would be funded through locally managed initiatives.

Water improvements are a matter of public health, lawmakers note, pointing to the need for communities more resilient to the devastating impacts of severe wind and rain storms.

"All of us benefit from clean water," Sen. Muth added in a statement. "And improving our stormwater management systems to limit the damage caused by devastating climate driven weather events will greatly reduce the burden of repair for future generations."

The state senators are hopeful using federal funding will lessen the tax burden on local residents, who often wind up footing the bill for cleanups, spills, and aging infrastructure.