USDA Rural Development Announces Over $1 Million Investment in Infrastructure for Mercer Borough and Pleasant Township

(Harrisburg, Pa., July 6, 2026) - USDA Rural Development Pennsylvania Acting State Director Jeremy Wilson has announced that Mercer Borough will receive $350,000 and Pleasant Township will receive $742,000 for critical water and wastewater upgrades.

State Director Wilson said, "USDA Rural Development is delivering meaningful improvements to rural communities with essential sewer infrastructure upgrades. These investments help protect public health and reduce impacts to the environment in rural Pennsylvania."

For Mercer Borough, this Rural Development investment will replace and rehabilitate about 16,000 linear feet of aging sanitary sewer lines. Upgrades primarily include line and manhole replacement, which will reduce backups, protect public health, improve wastewater treatment performance, and ensure reliable service for more than 1,259 connections in Mercer Borough and nearby communities.

Pleasant Township will use this Rural Development investment to construct a new sewer extension serving homes in Pleasant Township. A new pump station along with 19,700 linear feet of new gravity and low-pressure sewer lines will provide a reliable connection to the existing system. This project will protect private wells, improve public health, and ensure safe wastewater service benefiting 2,249 people in the Township.

USDA Rural Development can assist rural communities with the construction of water and waste facilities through the Water and Environmental Programs. These programs help rural communities to obtain the technical assistance and financing necessary to develop drinking water and waste disposal systems. Safe drinking water and sanitary waste disposal systems are vital not only to public health, but also to the economic vitality of rural America.

For more information on these programs, contact [email protected] or (814) 547-5941.

For more information on USDA Rural Development investments in rural America, visit the Rural Data Gateway. The Rural Data Gateway is an online tool that strengthens USDA Rural Development partnerships with rural people, entrepreneurs, government officials and Congress by making investment data accessible to the public.

Learn more online at www.rd.usda.gov, subscribe to GovDelivery updates, and follow us on X at @RD_Pennsylvania.

###

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer and lender.