NEWS INFORMATION FROM

THE OFFICE OF MAYOR STEPHEN R. REED
City of Harrisburg
King City Government Center
Harrisburg, PA 17101-1678
Telephone: 717.255.3040

FOR IMMEDIATE USE
April 22, 2004

MAYOR URGES ‘YES’ VOTE ON BALLOT QUESTION ON STATE FUNDING FOR WATER PROJECTS

Harrisburg, PA—Mayor Stephen R. Reed today urged area voters to vote yes on an important ballot question that will authorize $250 million in state funding for water and wastewater improvement projects. The question will appear on ballots in next Tuesday’s Primary Election.

The Mayor said a yes vote on the question will provide significant funding for upgrades to existing water and wastewater delivery systems statewide through the replacement of aging and deteriorating pipes. It also helps to ensure that Pennsylvanians have access to clean drinking water by funding improvements to water and wastewater treatment plants.

“Unfunded mandates have cost Pennsylvania’s taxpayers billions of dollars in expenses over the past 15 years,” said Mayor Reed, “and it is long past time for those government bodies to step up and provide at least a fraction of the funding necessary to implement the changes in law and regulations they have promulgated.

“This is also an important economic development tool, because employers and businesses often look at the availability and affordability of water and wastewater treatment services when deciding where to locate their businesses.” the Mayor added.

Reed said many of the state’s water and wastewater systems are in deteriorated condition, and have been unable to keep up with growing demand caused by the urban sprawl taking place across parts of Pennsylvania. Many systems are a hundred or more years old, and are long past due for significant upgrades. The PA Department of Environmental Protection recently said the total need for water and wastewater upgrades exceeds $13 billion, including more than $5.2 billion for drinking water infrastructure, and almost $7.9 billion for wastewater infrastructure.

The Mayor said the ballot question will appear as: “Do you favor the incurring of indebtedness by the Commonwealth in the amount of $250,000,000 for use as grants and loans for the construction, expansion or improvement of water and wastewater infrastructure, including water supply and sewage treatment systems?”

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