New Fund Making PA's Water Greener
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January 25, 2010
HARRISBURG, Pa. - It appears Pennsylvania is riding the tide of spending more on water infrastructure, despite the economic hard times, thanks to a federal initiative which set up a revolving fund that backs local water improvement efforts. That 2009 federal initiative, the Green Project Reserve, called for 20 percent of that fund's money to be devoted to "green" water strategies, such as conservation and improving wastewater quality.
Liz Garland, associate director of the Clean Water Program for the conservation organization American Rivers, says the initiative encourages municipalities to think green when it comes to water projects.
"That's so that we're no longer just saying let's re-use first, when we're talking about growth and development, but let's think green first."
Garland says a stumbling block may be the lack of a statewide policy that directs all municipalities to take a green approach with water infrastructure projects. She says setting across-the-board regulations would give towns and cities a framework to keep in mind.
"We haven't seen strong incorporation of green infrastructure that localities can use as a model."
Garland says the amount of money available in the Green Project Reserve isn't, in and of itself, enough to solve Pennsylvania's water infrastructure challenges, but it does indicate that the current is flowing in the right direction.
"To me, it's that dedication to a particular purpose for the first time that is a really big stepping stone towards seeing these types of practices implemented more broadly."
The first year of the Green Project Reserve designated around $45 million in Pennsylvania for several water improvement programs.