Bizzarro: State loan helps residents avoid rate increases
Millcreek Township will use funds for major infrastructure repairs
Rep. Ryan Bizzarro October 15, 2025 | 12:12 PM
ERIE, Oct. 15 – A state loan has been secured for a multi-million-dollar infrastructure upgrade in Millcreek Township that could help almost 24,000 residents avoid a rate increase. State Rep. Ryan Bizzarro announced a low-interest loan from the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority has been secured to help cover the $3.8 million project.
“Residents are already living with the everyday pain of inflation and the rising cost of living, so I’m hopeful this loan will allow Millcreek Township to make major upgrades while avoiding passing any cost of the project on to residents,” said Bizzarro, who represents Millcreek and Fairview townships. “The PennVEST loan will allow the township to replace a system that has already been repaired and has now outlived its operational life.”
Millcreek Township will use a $3,758,976 loan to replace 6,970 feet of sewer line, including 470 feet of line under Interstate 79. The loan is expected to cover the work needed for open-trench installation, the boring under the interstate with needed 30-inch casing, and pavement restoration. The loan includes a 1% interest rate during the first five years, with the interest rate increasing to 1.743% after year five.
The township will replace the force main – a pressurized pipe that uses pumps to move wastewater – that had been in use at the Kearsarge pump station since 1984. After numerous repairs to fix leaks, the force main and system, including valves and fittings, will be replaced to help avoid further leaks and the potential for environmental contamination caused by a major break. The system currently serves 23,934 residents in Millcreek Township.
“This project makes sense from an economic perspective, but it’s also needed from an environmental standpoint because of its proximity to residential neighborhoods as well as Walnut Creek,” Bizzarro said.
A user rate increase is not anticipated as a direct result of the project, and the PennVEST loan will provide the township with estimated savings equivalent in value to $1,358,000 over the life of the loan.
The announcement continues Bizzarro’s efforts in Harrisburg to provide needed funding for local projects in his district. He has now brought home $8.6 million in state funding to the region to help seniors, affordable housing, local businesses, schools and more in 2025.