The Pennsylvania General Assembly should heed the advice of a Citizens for Pennsylvania's Future (PennFuture) official in regard to state voters' overwhelming approval last month of a proposal to issue $250 million in bonds for water and wastewater system rehabilitation.

John Quigley, a former mayor of Hazelton, Luzerne County, who currently serves as PennFuture's government relations manager, says the $250 million should be targeted to fix existing, severe problems and not be used to subsidize new infrastructure in previously undeveloped areas.

What he didn't specifically say, but which also must be emphasized, is that the money be fairly targeted to fix problems statewide, not just the problems of the big urban areas such as Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. Those two cities' problems could consume all of the money in question - and, unfortunately, much more.

There is a solid basis for avoiding an unfair Philadelphia-Pittsburgh grab of the money that will be available. The state already is aware of most of the problems outside those two big cities.

In a series of public hearings across the state in 2001, the General Assembly's Joint Legislative Air and Water Pollution Control and Conservation Committee found that aging water treatment systems across the commonwealth were either deteriorated or near the end of their effective lives.

The findings determined that many were unreliable or unsafe. According to Quigley, today it is estimated that 500,000 residents in Southwestern Pennsylvania alone are at risk for gastrointestinal illnesses due to unreliable or polluted water supplies or inadequate wastewater systems.

In 2001, the total cost to fix the deteriorated drinking water and wastewater systems across the commonwealth was estimated at $11 billion. Higher repair costs and additional deterioration since that original estimate have pushed the total above the 2001 figure.

Therefore, with the $250 million unable to make more than a dent in the repairs needed statewide, it is imperative that the money be kept from new facilities and that it not go only to big metropolitan areas.

Voters statewide approved the referendum on the April 27 election ballots; therefore, the project benefits from the bond issue should be spread across the state.

Combined sewer systems in more than 150 Pennsylvania communities routinely overflow, discharging pollution into state waterways. Actually, this state leads the nation with more than 1,500 locations where combined sewer systems overflow.

People like Quigley must remain focused on the issue, and Butler County's state lawmakers must lobby on the county's behalf as the General Assembly writes legislation to guide the selection of projects to fund.

This county deserves a fair portion of the $250 million. It could be a long time before funds are available under a similar program.

- J.R.K.