To: NATIONAL EDITORS
Contact: Susan Rickens Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection,
+1-717-783-1116
Regional Public Meetings to Follow Inaugural Meeting
 
HARRISBURG, Pa., April 14 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ --
Members of Governor Edward G. Rendell's Sustainable Water Infrastructure Task Force convened
for the first time today and began the work of addressing the estimated $20 billion funding shortfall needed to upgrade Pennsylvania's aging and deteriorated water-related infrastructure.

After the 30 members were sworn in, Department of Environmental Protection Secretary, Kathleen A. McGinty, who serves as chair of the task force, laid out the scope of the problem and the high-level group's responsibility.

Pennsylvania's water-related infrastructure is old, said McGinty. Many of our systems  "some of which date back to before World War II" suffer from overflows, chronic leaks, and a shortage of treatment capacity. Many of these issues stem from under funded operations, repair, rehabilitation and replacement work.

We need to act now and address this matter because, without a reliable infrastructure, our economy and way of life will suffer. Over the next six months, we will look at how we can ensure reliable funding for our water and wastewater systems, and consider how we can utilize alternatives to costly capital upgrades that will yield a safe and dependable water supply.

According to a federal Clean Water Needs Survey, Pennsylvania is facing nearly $11 billion in unmet drinking water infrastructure needs and at least $7.2 billion in unmet wastewater infrastructure needs.

McGinty added that Pennsylvania's ability to address the unmet funding needs is made more difficult because of declining support from the federal government.

"Pennsylvania's share of the federal Clean Water State Revolving Fund has been cut in half during the last three years, down $30 million to $27 million", said McGinty. And, the president's fiscal year 2009 budget proposal requested only $555 million for this program, which would be the lowest level of funding in its history, if enacted.

Governor Rendell has repeatedly called on Congress to restore funding while increasing the state's investment in these critical systems so we don't fall further behind.

Governor Rendell created the task force, with Executive Order 2008-02, to consider new funding options, as well as non-structural alternatives to expensive capital upgrades, such as nutrient credit trading, water re-use and conservation.

It is responsible for developing a report by Oct. 1 that provides recommendations and financing options to support water-related services in the Governor's fiscal year 2009-10 budget proposal.

As part of its inaugural meeting, task force members formed the following work groups:

• Needs Assessment -- Examine the current and projected costs for the construction, upgrade, repair and operation and maintenance of Pennsylvania's drinking water and sewage infrastructure.
• Innovative Measures -- Examine the projected cost savings realized by the consideration and implementation of all available non-structural alternatives such as trading programs.
• Financial Resources -- Examine the current and projected financial resources to address water and sewer services and infrastructure needs including potential sustainable funding from federal, state and local source and public/private partnerships, and determine if operation and maintenance can be funded.
• Financial Sustainability -- Establish requirements for available funding including consideration for asset management, board and local official training, full-cost pricing, and prioritization and targeting of resources.
• Legislative and Regulatory Needs -- Review existing statute and regulation and identify any provisions that prevent the effective implementation of an Infrastructure Sustainability Initiative to include the elements of sustainability defined in the Executive Order.