Grant would fix storm water system

March 03, 2009|By JENNIFER FITCH

WAYNESBORO, Pa. -- The Borough of Waynesboro has submitted an application for $4.7 million in grant money that would be used to upgrade its problematic storm water system.

Borough Engineer Kevin Grubbs said the H20 grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development would cover 66 percent of the estimated repair costs.

"The remainder would be picked up with a (low-interest) PENNVEST loan," Grubbs said.

Latest estimates are the entire project will cost $7.1 million and take approximately 18 months to complete, he said.

Workers would enlarge pipes and bypass parts of the existing system that carries storm water. The majority of that runoff ends up flowing along Cemetery Avenue, which has a history of dramatically flooded yards and basements.

The borough will enlarge pipes on center square as part of a larger construction project starting soon.

Also included in the comprehensive project are:

o Replacing the outfall at Cemetery Avenue

o Enlarging pipes on South Potomac Street between Main Street and Gay Street

o Creating a bypass on South Potomac Street from Third Street to the Cemetery Avenue outfall

o Doing repairs in the South Grant Street, West Second Street and Snider Avenue areas

The borough already removed pipes and debris from the Cemetery Avenue outfall. It also completed initial repairs in an alley behind West Fifth Street.

Grubbs said he doesn't expect an announced decision on the H20 grant until May.

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