A nearly $2.4 million Environmental Protection Agency grant to the City of Chester, Pa., will help the municipality upgrade its green infrastructure to reduce stormwater overflows.
Funds of $2,366,000 from the EPA’s Sewer Overflow and Stormwater Reuse Municipal Grants program will be given to the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority, a press release said. The authority will give a sub-award to the City of Chester, which will use it “for a green infrastructure project to help fix flooding problems caused by stormwater overflows.”
“Stormwater improvements in the City of Chester also support efforts to restore the Delaware River Estuary, which is the ultimate recipient of urban water runoff from Chester,” the press release said.
The funds will be used in Chester to address runoff and flooding in the Veterans' Park area caused by an outdated stormwater system, the press release said.
“Urban stormwater is a significant source of water pollution and can be a serious public health concern,” Adam Ortiz, EPA’s Mid-Atlantic regional administrator, said in the press release.
Managing runoff, while a complex challenge for the nation’s local communities, is important, the EPA said.
“Stormwater can collect various pollutants including trash, chemicals, oils, and dirt/sediment and convey them to nearby waterways,” the EPA said. “When mixed with domestic and industrial wastewater in combined sewers, stormwater can also contribute to combined sewer overflows during heavy storm events.”
Chester has a stormwater information page at https://www.chestercity.com/resources/chester-stormwater/.
