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ZELIENOPLE — The first part of a four-part initiative to mitigate flooding across southwestern Butler County was recognized with a Thursday ceremony.

Along with leaders from several surrounding boroughs and townships, Zelienople borough council celebrated the completion of a stormwater project on Linden Street, which is one of four components of a region-wide effort to reduce flooding spearheaded by the Lower Connoquenessing Watershed group.

The group, which consists of leaders from Harmony, Evans City, Lancaster Township, Adams Township, Forward Township and Seven Fields, has planned improvements to storm sewers and catch basins scheduled over the course of 10 years.

The Linden Street project fits into a larger plan to mitigate flooding throughout neighboring communities, said Don Pepe, borough manager. Its completion will reduce the risk that storm debris will clog waterways and place homes near those sites at risk.

Construction on the project began in May and ended on Oct. 10 at a total cost of $110,000, with Zelienople’s council drawing funds from the Butler County Infrastructure Bank to finance the work.

Crews representing Steel Nation Environmental replaced an existing 60-inch culvert pipe with a larger, 5-by-8-foot box culvert to reduce overflow. Steel Nation Environmental is a company that specializes in stormwater rehabilitation and that contracted with the borough to complete the task.

The borough had initially applied for a grant with the PA Small Water and Sewer Program in December 2019 to fund the work. When the borough didn’t receive this grant, it joined the Regional Lower Connoquenessing Watershed group and the county to collaborate.