$2 Million Awarded To Help North Penn Area Handle Flooding

LANSDALE, PA — Several local municipalities have received major funding boosts to help handle stormwater and flood control.

A total of more than $2 million has been awarded in state grants to Hatfield, Lansdale, and Franconia, State Rep. Steve Malagari announced Monday.

The funding comes in the wake of Tropical Storm Isaias, which devastated the region with heavy floodwaters and exposed the vulnerability of much infrastructure to storms of that nature.

“I’m proud to help bring this funding home to upgrade our sewer and stormwater infrastructure," Rep. Malagari said in a statement. "Residents in the affected neighborhoods know just how desperately this funding is needed to get these projects done."

Specifically, Malagari pointed to discussions he'd had with residents of Morwood Road in Franconia regarding the important sewer project under way there.

Franconia will receive $590,584 in funding to install more than 8,000 feet of sewer mains and service lines. They'll also add grinder pumps and service connections, and use the money for road and property restoration work.

Lansdale gets $323,570 in aid, which will upgrade the borough's existing storm sewer system to accommodate greater runoff. The increased runoff is attributed both to more powerful storm as well as redevelopment projects and existing development in the area of Laurel Lane, officials said.

Hatfield borough, meanwhile, will receive two separate grants totaling more than $1 million.

The first is $670,227 to repair sinkholes on West Broad and North Main streets, as well as to replace old storm and sanitary sewers. The second is for $423,106 to replace more than 1,400 feet of "defective" sanitary sewer line in the North Main Street area.