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Pennvest has awarded $11.8 million in low-interest loans for a pair of Blair County water projects.
It awarded $7.5 million to the Altoona Water Authority for replacement of 15,000 feet of leaky cast-iron water line that was installed along Logan Boulevard in the 1950s.
It also awarded $4.3 million to DelGrosso Foods for a permanent pre-treatment facility at its Pinecroft plant that will make effluent from the plant acceptable for processing in Tyrone.
The AWA is replacing the thin-walled, cement-lined, low-quality cast-iron line between Plank and Oak Knoll roads this year so that a later replacement wouldn't damage the paving on the boulevard that will be renewed next year by PennDOT.
The line frequently breaks, causing service outages and water losses, according to a news release from the offices of state Sen. Judy Ward, R-Blair, and state Rep. Lou Schmitt, R-Altoona.
The line breaks have also damaged the road and nearby properties, authority General Manager Mark Perry said previously.
The loan will run for 30 years at 1%.
The new line will be 12 inches in diameter between Plank Road and Larch Street and 8 inches the rest of the way, authority Water Operations Director Mike Bianconi said previously.
Most of it will be plastic, but some will be ductile iron, including a steep section requiring special joints to prevent slippage.
PennDOT has postponed the paving project to allow for the AWA work and other utility line replacements.
The work will be done with "directional drilling," rather than open-trench style, the authority has said.
DelGrosso needs to install the pre-treatment facility to deal with the dairy products it uses in making white sauces like alfredo and queso at the Pinecroft plant, according to the news release and other sources.
The effluent from the plant initially went via Northern Blair County Regional Sewer Authority lines to the Logan Township sewer treatment plant in Pinecroft, but the effluent caused problems there, Logan Sewer Department Director Dave Pozgar said in July 2023.
To remedy the situation, DelGrosso installed a temporary, portable, trailer-based pretreatment facility at the sauce plant, officials from Northern Blair and DelGrosso said then.
There were plans for a temporary line to connect with existing Northern Blair lines that would take the effluent after pre-treatment to the Tyrone plant, which can better handle industrial effluent, officials said.
The Pennvest money will enable replacement of the temporary pretreatment facility with a permanent one.
The project will include installation of 790 feet of conveyance, a pump station, a 200,000-gallon tank, a strainer system and a dissolved air flotation system that can treat 200,000 gallons a day of effluent, according to the news release.
The pretreatment will "prevent clogs and preserve the collection system, while allowing this major employer to operate its plant effectively," Ward stated in the news release.
Interest on the loan will be 1.743% for the first five years, then 2.179% until the loan is paid off, according to the news release.
The loan will cover the full cost of the DelGrosso project.
Mirror Staff Writer William Kibler is at 814-949-7038.