Mahanoy Township Authority receives $150,000 grant to replace aging valves downtown
By Kaylee Lindenmuth
MAHANOY CITY – The Mahanoy Township Authority is among three Schuylkill County municipal organizations receiving a compined $666,155 in state grant funds announced today.
The Authority will receive $151,155 to replace four large valves controlling the water distribution system that feeds Mahanoy City.
According to a media release, the four-valve system at the Main and Centre streets intersection, the heart of the central business district, is old and must be replaced.
“The replacement of the valves will result in less use of potable water during the annual flushing program,” the release read. “It will also improve health and safety by minimizing any shut down of the system when maintenance needs to be performed or during emergency repairs.”
“I hope that these funds are quickly utilized to replace the valve system and allow Mahanoy City to operate the system as it was designed to do,” said State Senator David G. Argall (R-29)
The Schuylkill County Municipal Authority was another recipient, with plans to use its grant funding in northern Schuylkill. SCMA was awarded $425,000, which will be used to bring water to the Mahanoy Business Park, to “help retain existing jobs in the park while providing future opportunities for additional job creation.”
“For more than a decade, Senator Argall and I have been working on bringing water and sewer to the north side of the Broad Mountain,” said State Representative Neal Goodman, (D-123). “I am certain that building this infrastructure will lead to more jobs for our residents.”
“This is a huge opportunity for Schuylkill County which will aid in our ongoing efforts to bring more jobs and economic opportunities to those who call this county home,” Argall said. “With the addition of public water services to the warehouse facilities, I have been told that over 2 million square feet of warehouse space can be constructed, which in turn will bring more family-sustaining jobs to the area.”
“SCMA is extremely pleased with the commitment of the CFA for phase II of the waterline extension at the Mahanoy Business Park,” said Patrick M. Caulfield, executive director of the authority. “In 2013, the authority made an investment to extend public water service to the north side of the business park and the village of Vulcan. Phase II will extend water service to the south side of Interstate 81 to serve the proposed warehouse project and potential future commercial and residential growth. This effort was a true partnership spearheaded by both Senator Argall and Representative Goodman and supported by Representatives Jerry Knowles and Mike Tobash that has already proven successful with economic development and job creation in Schuylkill County.”
Minersville was the third grant recipient, receiving $90,000 to improve the Fourth Street Playground and the Little League field.
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