The Altoona Water Authority will apply to the Susquehanna River Basin Commission for a grant to repair degradation in the concrete spillway below the Little Allegheny Reservoir in Mill Run, just downstream from the Mill Run Reservoir and its water treatment plant.

The concrete is spalling and cracking, wire mesh reinforcement in the concrete has become exposed, a copper “stop” that sealed a joint between sections has washed downstream and there may be voids under the concrete, according to Land Manager Katie Semelsberger.

Authority staff has been investigating the issues, Semelsberger said.

The authority was planning to apply for $330,000 from the commission’s Consumptive Use Mitigation Grant program.

The authority has agreed to pay a 20% match, or $66,000, if that amount is awarded.

The grant awards are made in July and the minimum grant award is $100,000.

The issue is not currently a safety concern, but the work will eventually need to be done, according to Semelsberger.

The match money is not budgeted for 2026, but could be budgeted for next year, said General Manager Mark Perry.

The state Department of Environmental Protection’s Bureau of Dam Safety would need to be notified of a project, if one is undertaken, and the work would need to be advertised for bid.

Mirror Staff Writer William Kibler is at 814-949-7038.