Matthew Brown

HARRISVILLE — The borough is about to embark on a wastewater improvement project, and to help finance it, borough council has approved taking out a short-term bridge loan for $744,000.

The measure was approved at a special meeting in early August, and a formal ordinance authorizing the taking out of the loan was approved at the regular council meeting Monday night, Sept. 14.

“The bridge loan is meant to cover the work that has to be done before we actually start digging,” council member Carolyn Steglich said.

The money from the loan will come from the Butler County Infrastructure Bank, a county program that provides reduced-interest loans for infrastructure projects.

Council President April Anschutz said the project will provide critical infrastructure improvements to the borough’s wastewater system.

“We plan on replacing the force main from our Route 58 pump station to our connection in Grove City and replace sewer equipment in the Route 58 pump station and the Route 8 lift station, along with building new buildings at both locations,” Anschutz said. “There’s other things happening, but those are the biggest parts of the upgrades.”

The borough also plans to seek additional sources of financing for the project, such as state grants. Zachary Sansom, of EADS Group, the borough’s engineering firm, suggested during Monday’s meeting that the borough apply for financing from the state’s Local Share Account grant.

Anschutz could not provide an estimated start for construction.

“We are still in the early stages of specs to finalize everything with EADS,” Anschutz said.