Happy Valley Times

Sen. Wayne Langerholc, Jr. and Rep. Frank Burns announced the allocation of $22.1 million in state funds to improve the water system in the Greater Johnstown area. This initiative includes a low-interest loan from PENNVEST to upgrade the North Fork Reservoir, ensuring it can manage a probable maximum flood event.

The improvements will involve installing a roller-compacted concrete spillway, a new crest wall, a spillway cap, auxiliary spillway training walls, and flood gates. These enhancements aim to strengthen the reservoir's capacity to handle significant rainfall and improve its overall flood resiliency.

Serving the City of Johnstown and parts of 16 other municipalities in Cambria and Somerset counties, the North Fork Reservoir is currently labeled as a High Hazard Dam under state regulations.

Sen. Langerholc, a member of the PENNVEST board, emphasized the importance of these infrastructure upgrades for public safety and economic development. He stated, "Investing in critical water infrastructure upgrades is a matter of public safety, economic development, and responsible stewardship." He noted the funding supports updating outdated systems to meet modern standards without overburdening ratepayers.

Rep. Burns remarked on the significance of the state assistance, stating, “This low-interest loan will help the Greater Johnstown Water Authority make improvements to the North Fork Reservoir dam to increase reliability of the water supply to the communities it serves, while also helping to ensure the dam can retain more water during significant rainfall events." He added that the state funding would reduce the project's financial impact on local ratepayers.

PENNVEST, an independent agency of the Commonwealth, finances the construction of drinking water, sewer, and stormwater projects across Pennsylvania. The agency is not funded by the state’s General Fund budget, which is allocated for the daily operations and services of the Commonwealth.