Goal of Etna stormwater project to reduce flooding

Tawnya Panizzi | Tuesday, July 28, 2020 2:31 p.m.

Courtesy of Etna

Work continues on a $669,000 stormwater project along Walnut Street in Etna.

A $669,000 stormwater project is underway along Walnut Street in Etna with the aim of reducing flooding in the borough.

Walnut Street between Butler and Locust streets remain closed while crews install tanks to capture stormwater from downspouts and sidewalks, borough Manager Mary Ellen Ramage said.

The project is part of the borough’s Phase 3 Green Streetscape, paid for by an Allegheny County Sanitary Authority (ALCOSAN) GROW grant.

“These projects help cut down overflows to Pine Creek and the Allegheny River from our combined sewer system,” Ramage said.

Launched in 2014, the borough’s Green master plan underscores the commitment to reducing overflows to public waterways, she said.

Removing the stormwater allows for better capacity in the sewer system.

The work along Walnut Street has the capacity to retain nearly 10,000 gallons of rain at a time and is estimated to be able to manage nearly 300,000 gallons annually, Ramage said.

The tank installed on High Street can capture about 790,000 gallons a year.

Since 2016, GROW grants have funded projects to reduce excess water from overloading the sewer system.

Aspinwall has earned several rounds of funding through the GROW program, including $477,000 for a storm separation project along Center Avenue and $433,000 for similar work along Eastern Avenue.

Fox Chapel has also earned money through the program. The borough in 2018 earned $658,000 for pipe lining that reduced groundwater infiltration.