The Allegheny County Sanitary Authority (ALCOSAN) Board of Directors created the Green Revitalization of Our Waterways (GROW) program in a system-wide effort to reduce excess water from entering an already overloaded sewer collection system. The GROW program is now an essential part of ALCOSAN’s long-term plan to create cleaner waterways in compliance with regulations of the federal Clean Water Act and the Pennsylvania Clean Streams Law.
Immediately after the GROW program’s creation, the Authority began working with its 83-member municipalities and municipal sewer authorities that send wastewater to its treatment facility. Under the program, any municipality or municipal sewer authority within the ALCOSAN service area is eligible to submit a source control project for grant funding consideration.
The grants may be used to install green storm water infrastructure, remove streams from the sewer system, reduce the amount of water seeping in through groundwater or to separate out storm sewers. In addition to financial support, ALCOSAN provides technical expertise and other assistance to municipalities for the projects, all with the aim of removing unnecessary storm water and ground water from the system.
Since 2016, the GROW program has provided over $30 million in grant funding towards 105 projects that will reduce sewer overflow by an estimated 142 million gallons.
When and How to Apply
Any municipality or municipal sewer authority within the ALCOSAN service area is eligible for GROW grants. New grant cycles typically begin in the Fall season. ALCOSAN will schedule information meetings before each cycle to assist municipalities that need it for the application process. Application documents are available via the municipal portal.
Have questions regarding the GROW program at ALCOSAN?
GROW Grant Recipients and Projects
2021 GROW Program - Cycle 6
ALCOSAN is pleased to announce the sixth cycle of the Green Revitalization of Our Waterways (GROW) program. We are now accepting letters of interest (LOI) for your source reduction projects. You are encouraged to submit a LOI for projects within your municipality meeting the eligibility requirements of the program. Program Guidelines describing the LOI, application process and project eligibility requirements are available on the municipal portal.
2020 GROW Program Grant Offers – Cycle 5
| Municipal Partner | Project Description | GROW Grant Received |
|---|---|---|
| Borough of Aspinwall | Western Avenue sewer separation (SS) - The project consists of separating stormwater from the existing combined municipal sewer system. This will be the third such project following Eastern Avenue and Center Avenue sewer separation projects, already funded through the ALCOSAN GROW Program. | $537,199.94 |
| Borough of Avalon | Sanitary sewer lining (I/I) – This project consists of sanitary sewer lining along Spruce Run Road. | $72,900 |
| Bellevue Borough | Sanitary sewer lining (I/I) – This project consists of sanitary sewer lining and smoke testing primarily along Orchard Avenue and North Avenue between Union Avenue and N. Sprague Avenue. | $84,100 |
| Blawnox Borough | Sewer lining (I/I) - Reimbursement for the lining of 1,191 linear feet of sewer lines along 5th Street and Fountain Street. | $21,700 |
| Brentwood Borough | Sewer lining (I/I) – Reimbursement for the lining of 1,925 linear feet of sewer lines in the residential areas along Wanley Road. | $149,118.09 |
| Carnegie Borough | Cubbage Street sewer separation (SS) – The project consists of approximately 1,900 linear feet of new 15-inch storm sewer along with 18 storm manholes and 10 storm inlets along Cubbage Street and 7th Avenue. | $408,436.69 |
| Churchill Borough | Collins Road pump station redirection (SO) – This project consists of the design and installation of a 10-inch gravity sewer through a section of the former Churchill Country Club property and connection to an existing Penn Hills gravity sewer. Also, to prevent storm sewer overflow from entering the sanitary sewer, the project includes various repairs to the storm and sanitary sewer in areas that failed smoke tests. | $803,471.54 |
| Crafton Borough | Crafton Boulevard sewer separation (SS) – This project consists of separating portions of the combined sewers on Clearview Avenue, Sterrett Street, Barr, Clearview, Harris and Keever Avenues. | $2,647,400 |
| Crafton Borough | Woodlawn and Fountain sewer separation (SS) – This project consists of separating portions of the combined sewers along Fountain, Promenade and Woodlawn Streets. | $2,072,731.89 |
| Borough of Dormont | Sewer lining (I/I) – This project consists of the lining of 4,600 linear feet of sewer lines along Peermont Avenue and several alleys between Beacon Hill Avenue and West Liberty Avenue. | $60,300 |
| Emsworth Borough | Pump station upgrade and force main replacement (SO) – This project consists of increasing the size of the force main pipe diameter and increasing the capacity of the Emsworth pump station. | $111,900 |
| Borough of Fox Chapel | Sanitary sewer lining (I/I) – Reimbursement for the lining of 2,035 linear feet of sanitary sewer lines along Pasadena Driver near the intersection with Delafield Road. | $16,300 |
| Borough of Fox Chapel | Sanitary sewer lining (I/I) – Reimbursement for the lining of 4,600 linear feet of sanitary sewer lines along Shirl Drive and Dietrich Road. | $33,600 |
| Borough of Fox Chapel | Sanitary sewer lining (I/I) – Reimbursement for the lining of 1,430 linear feet of sanitary sewer lines along Wynnwood Drive. | $11,700 |
| Green Tree Borough | Sanitary sewer lining (I/I) – This project consists of the lining of 2,239 linear feet of sanitary sewer lines located along Parkedge and Sheldon Streets. | $36,500 |
| Borough of Homestead | Hazel Way sewer separation (SS) – The project consists of construction of a new storm sewer system in order to separate catch basins and storm inlets from the combined sewer system. | $1,915,000 |
| Monroeville Municipal Authority | Sanitary sewer lining (I/I) – This project consists of the lining of 25,113 linear feet of sanitary sewer lines located within the Abers Creek sewer shed. | $245,900 |
| Mt. Lebanon | Sanitary sewer lining (I/I) – This project consists of the lining of 1,641 linear feet of sanitary sewer lines along Orchard and Thornwood Drives. | $41,400 |
| Mt. Lebanon | Sanitary sewer lining (I/I) – This project consists of the lining of 2,961 linear feet of sanitary sewer lines along Scrubgrass Road. | $106,200 |
| O’Hara Township | Sanitary sewer lining (I/I) – Reimbursement for the lining of 5,535 linear feet of sanitary sewer lines. | $52,400 |
| City of Pittsburgh | Wightman Park project (GSI) - This project is for the construction of a combination of street bioswales and raingardens with underground storage stormwater control features in Wightman Park. The project includes various park improvements benefiting the neighborhood. | $352,047.92 |
| Penn Hills | Sanitary sewer lining (I/I) – This project consists of the lining of 2,100 linear feet of sanitary sewer lines along Beulah Road and Emrose Drive. | $109,700 |
| Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority | Chatham University green infrastructure project (GSI) – This project is for the installation of green stormwater infrastructure and related conveyance elements on the campus along Woodland Road. | $1,616,452.06 |
| Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority | Wightman Park project (GSI) – This project is for the construction of a combination of street bioswales and raingardens with underground storage stormwater control features in Wightman Park. The project includes various park improvements benefiting the neighborhood. | $2,992,426.96 |
| Rankin Borough | Rankin recreation site sewer separation (SS) – This project consists of two components: separating the combined sewers and redirecting stormwater flow to new retention facilities. | $55,400 |
| Ross Township | Sanitary sewer lining (I/I) – This project consists of the lining of 2,830 linear feet of sanitary sewer lines along Lingay Drive. | $103,000 |
| Shaler Township | Sanitary sewer lining (I/I) – This project consists of the lining of 2,500 linear feet of sanitary sewer lines in the residential areas along Saxonburg Boulevard and Cunningham Run. | $207,807.83 |
| Wilkinsburg Borough | Sanitary sewer lining (I/I) – This project consists of the lining of 11,055 linear feet of sanitary sewer lines along Center Street between South Avenue and Glenn Avenue including several side streets. | $311,300 |
Green Stormwater Infrastructure Guidance Documents
ALCOSAN is committed to taking a proactive approach to stormwater management. ALCOSAN and its customer municipalities and authorities have completed significant work throughout the service area to understand the scope and challenges of preventing extraneous source flow from entering the Regional Conveyance System. Building on these efforts, ALCOSAN created guidance documents to support the successful implementation of Green Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI). This document is intended to provide guidelines for private and public entities in constructing GSI, from initial planning stages to post-construction maintenance.
Green Stormwater Infrastructure and Source Control Monitoring Guide
This document provides guidance to facilitate successful performance monitoring of source control projects implemented to reduce inflow into the regional collection system within the ALCOSAN service area. It is intended to be used by ALCOSAN, municipalities, and municipal sewer authorities in planning for, developing and implementing monitoring plans for projects funded under ALCOSAN’s Green Revitalization of Our Waterways (GROW) grant program.
Quick Links
ALCOSAN’s GROW Program Announcement
Grants available up to $10 million per project.
See Press Release for Details