Philadelphia's newest mayor, Cherelle Parker, joined elected officials from the state to present a nearly $25 million grant to the city's water department on Wednesday.
"Thank you to our legislative leaders. Keep it coming, we need a whole lot more," joked Parker as she celebrated the new influx of funding.
The funds come from three separate grants though the American Rescue Plan Act and are intended to be used on projects that will assist with the construction of drinking water, sanitary sewer, and stormwater projects.
Officials have said that the funding will support several Philadelphia Water Department projects including the Northeast Effluent Pump Station Infrastructure Project, the Queen Lane Raw Water Pump Station Power Resilience Project, and the 21st Street Storm Sewer Improvement.
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During the event, Parker broke down just how each of these projects could improve water issues for Philadelphia residents.
For the Northeast Effluent Pump Station Infrastructure Project, Parker said $15 million from the grant money would be used for an initiative that is intended to expand capacity for the Northeast Water Pollution Control Plant in Port Richmond.
She said the funds would help grow capacity there to make it able to treat 650 million gallons of water a day.
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"That's going to improve the quality of the water in the Delaware River for all Philadelphians," she said.
Also, the Queen Lane Raw Water Pump Station Power Resilience Project will receive $5.5 million of those funds to, as Parker said, "increase our capacity to provide that clean drinking water."
The 21st Street Storm Sewer Improvement project, she noted, will receive $4.1 million to create nearly a half mile of new and expanded sewage lines in Germantown.
Parker said this initiative will help reduce surface and basement flooding along residential blocks.
The funding comes after the city dealt with significant water contamination concerns last year after a chemical spill in the Delaware River.
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