Cranberry continues process for $35 million Brush Creek wastewater improvement
CRANBERRY TWP — As the township waits to receive permits from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection for ongoing improvements at the Brush Creek Water Treatment Plant, Rep. Mike Kelly, R-16th, joined plant managers and township supervisors Thursday morning, April 4, for a tour of the wastewater facility, which is undergoing upgrades estimated at $35 million.
The design process started about a year ago, with upgrades slated as part of a two-year project that will expand the facility’s capacity and improve its hydraulic processes, according to Dan Santoro, township manager.
Construction bids will go out later this year, and DEP approval could come in the fall, he said. The project is expected to be completed at the end of 2026.
“A lot of it is going to take shape here in the near future,” said township Supervisor Mike Manipole.
The $35 million upgrade includes a $5 million Community Project Funding grant requested by Kelly that was awarded in 2023. Santoro said the federal money will be helpful in keeping the project going.
Santoro said the remaining $30 million will be covered by a Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority wastewater loan and a $2 million state grant.
Improvements will help sustain the plant for the next 25 to 30 years, Manipole said.
Santoro said the funds are an investment that will see a return “five to six times fold” when the upgrades come online, echoing Kelly’s earlier remarks.
“Now we can help out with some federal dollars, it’s all coming out of the same pocketbook, right?” Kelly said at the beginning of the tour, referring to the $5 million federal grant. “Look at what you guys have done, look at what taxpayers have done to make this area a place that people want to stay.”
Kelly said the plant upgrades would produce “a great return” to taxpayer funds.
The plant is located along Brush Creek on Powell Road and serves Cranberry Township, along with parts of Pine, Marshall and New Sewickley townships. After being treated, wastewater collected from homes and businesses is released into Brush Creek.
