The Monroeville Municipal Authority will have the chance to replace nearly 10,000 feet of aging water line thanks to more than $2 million in federal funding announced this week.
U.S. Rep. Summer Lee, D-Swissvale, presented a check on March 31 for just under $1.1 million to the authority as part of federal Community Project Funding.
The money will support replacement of 9,700 feet of aging, asbestos-cement water lines, improving safety, reduce the risk of pipe failures and address health concerns tied to deteriorating infrastructure.
The asbestos-cement lines are commonly referred to as transite, and pipes installed up through the 1980s were made using carcinogenic asbestos fibers to provide tensile strength. When transite water pipes are damaged or compromised, they can release the fibers into the water supply.
”For too long, communities across Western Pennsylvania have been asked to wait while their roads, bridges and public systems deteriorated,” Lee said. “I fought to secure these funds because Monroeville, McKeesport and the Mon Valley deserve real investment, not neglect.”
McKeesport will receive nearly $1 million for the McKeesport-Versailles Viaduct project, to replace a bridge over Ravine Avenue which has been closed for safety reasons since 2022.
“These investments are about making sure our communities have safe water, reliable infrastructure and the resources they need to thrive,” Lee said.
Water quality reports from both 2023 and 2024 show that Monroeville’s system met or exceeded compliance standards in tests to detect the presence of asbestos in the water supply, according to authority data.
