Lehighton has received an additional $500,000 to address its inflow and infiltration matters concerning its sanitary sewer system.

Borough manager Dane DeWire said the $500,000 is directly through state Sen. Bob Casey’s fiscal year 2024 community project funding.

DeWire said that will give the borough $1.6 million in funding to rehabilitate the system.

Borough engineer Vanessa Nedrick said that engineering for the project is covered by the grant.

The project could be out to bid my mid-spring.

Councilman Steven Hawk he believes that would be in the borough’s best interests.

DeWire said the plan is to attack the I & I problem from all sides.

Last month, Hawk said that he, along with Councilwoman Autumn Abelovsky and DeWire met with the Central Carbon Municipal Authority concerning the borough’s Inflow & Infiltration issues.

Hawk said that a lot of the infiltration coming into the plant is from the borough, which is a major concern.

Nedrick said at that time there’s a lot of terra-cotta in the system, and two areas in the borough, zone 3 and zone 6, which provide 80% of the I & I the borough has.

She said at that time that if the borough were to take care of those two zones, it would be taking care of 80% of it.

DeWire said at that time addressing the situation could potentially save the borough thousands of dollars per month if it addresses the worst parts of the system.

Nedrick announced at January’s borough council meeting that the borough received the H20 Pennsylvania Water Supply, Sanitary Sewer and Stormwater Projects grant for $611,245.

Nedrick told council the grant can be used for inflow and infiltration abatement work throughout the borough.

She said at that time she believes the borough has three years to spend the grant.

Nedrick said in March 2023 there were two drainage areas in the older portions downtown that have about 80% flow infiltration. She said at that time there was a 50% grant match.

Former borough Manager Steve Travers said at that time the match portion was from the borough’s ARPA funds.

Travers previously said the study broke it up into seven drainage areas, and that if the borough were to get the grant and use ARPA funds, it would take care of two drainage areas.

He said the grant would save the borough money so it could add a smaller project, possibly a third drainage area.