Conklin: Nearly $17M secured to upgrade Rush Township sewer infrastructure
Rep. Scott Conklin January 21, 2026 | 3:09 PM
STATE COLLEGE, Jan. 21 – New funding of $16.8 million from the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority will fund a sanitary sewer extension project in Rush Township, state Rep. Scott Conklin announced today.
Conklin said the funding – which includes a 30-year, low-interest loan of $9.2 million and grant funding of nearly $7.6 million – will support work to replace on-lot sewer systems that Rush Township has identified as malfunctioning.
“A sanitary survey by the township showed that some on-lot sewer systems are failing and allowing untreated or improperly treated sewage into surface water and groundwater,” Conklin said. “I’m glad we were able to secure the new funding and grateful to Pennvest for providing needed resources to tackle this important public health project.”
Conklin said the project includes installation of approximately 11 miles of sewer line and three pump stations to connect and serve approximately 245 residential equivalent dwelling units and three commercial equivalent dwelling units that are currently using on-lot sewer systems. Pumps at the plant will also be upgraded to handle the additional waste from the new connections.
This existing system currently serves 1,046 households in Rush Township in Centre County and Decatur Township and Osceola Mills Borough in Clearfield County with median household income levels below the state median. Once the project is completed, the system will serve a total of 1,291 households.
According to Pennvest, without the grant funding, user rates were projected to increase by 74%.