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Consumptive Use Mitigation Grant 2025 Awardees

The Tioga County Soil and Water Conservation District will use grant funds to preserve 117.92 acres of land and secure a water storage and release system in Broome County, NY, through obtaining a conservation easement. The existing impoundment provides 41.1 acre-feet of water storage capacity, which will serve as both flood attenuation during heavy rainfall events and as supplemental storage to be used during periods of low flow and drought. Within the easement, 21 acres of wetlands will be protected, 17.4 acres of riparian forest re-established, and 77 acres of forest will be preserved. This ensures the permanent protection of water resources by preserving groundwater recharge, water quality, and enhancing drought resilience.

The City of Corning, located in Steuben County, NY, will use grant funds for the purchase and installation of 4,000 radio interface units on existing water meters to enhance leak detection and understand water use patterns. The new meters will mitigate consumptive use by saving an estimated 179,000 gallons of water daily. This aids in reducing groundwater withdrawals and preserving water supply within the basin. This grant funding will also help to improve water use billing accuracy for residents of Corning, which is located in a potentially stressed area and environmental justice community.

The Village of Waverly, located in Tioga County, NY, will use grant funds to replace 700 residential water meters throughout their distribution system. Currently, they are losing 30% of the total water withdrawn. The meter replacement project will result in increased ability to identify and address leaks within the system, leading to an estimated 146 million gallons of water savings annually.

The Municipal Authority of the Borough of Mansfield will use grant funds to implement Phase III of their Water Monitoring Improvement project in Tioga County, PA. This phase of the project will address water loss throughout the distribution system through the deployment of 929 advanced meters and 1,000 cellular interface units. The new meters will provide real-time data allowing for rapid detection and resolution of leaks and inefficiencies within the distribution system. This phase of the project is estimated to lower the unaccounted-for water from 35% to 15% by saving approximately 86,184 gallons per day. This project is located within the Tioga River Watershed, a Commission identified consumptive use priority area.

Elmhurst Country Club, located in Lackawanna County, PA, will use grant funds to increase the water storage capacity of existing retention ponds and modify their irrigation system. This will mitigate the consumptive use of groundwater for irrigation purposes by prioritizing water use from the expanded ponds. This water conservation effort is expected to reduce groundwater withdrawals by 50% and increase stormwater capture by approximately 1.3 million gallons per year, increasing drought resiliency. The increase in pond capacity will also serve as a backup water supply for local emergencies. Elmhurst Country Club is located within the Lackawanna River Watershed, a Commission identified consumptive use priority area.

The U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities will use grant funds to reforest 123.5 acres of reclaimed surface mine lands in the headwaters of the West Branch of the Susquehanna River in Clearfield County, PA. Restoring the land to a forested condition will lessen the runoff potential following storm events. This allows for increased infiltration of water into the soil and groundwater recharge, while also preserving natural flow variability and mitigating water quality impacts caused by legacy surface mining. The project is estimated to reduce discharge across the landscape by 73 cubic feet per second once plantings have reached maturity. This project is located within an environmental justice community.

ClearWater Conservancy will use grant funds to conserve and protect critical aquifer recharge areas along Spring Creek in Centre County, PA. This project will permanently conserve a 110-acre farm in a rapidly developing area, containing approximately 20 acres of critical aquifer recharge areas. This project is located within a Commission identified potentially stressed and consumptive use priority watershed. Preservation of this area contributes to drought resiliency and water supply protection within the basin.

Keystone Potato Products, located in Schuylkill County, PA, will use grant funds to install a Roth High Temperature System and Deaerator Tank to replace their existing system. The new system will return approximately 50,000 gallons of condensate to the boiler to be used to dehydrate potatoes into flake and flour, reducing water loss in the form of steam. This update is expected to reduce Keystone’s annual water consumption by 3.65 million gallons annually. This project is located within the Swatara Creek Watershed, a Commission identified consumptive use priority area. Additionally, funds will be used to evaluate the opportunity to use flare gas from their wastewater treatment plant to heat water, which would result in additional water savings. This project is located within an environmental justice community.

Lewistown Country Club, located in Mifflin County, PA, will use grant funds to implement Phase II of their Conserving and Converting project which includes the installation of a new irrigation system. The Club currently draws water for irrigation from a pond that is replenished by the Juniata River. Replacing the existing system is expected to result in a reduction in water consumption of 1 million gallons annually by optimizing irrigation efficiency. Additionally, the Club plans to convert 10 acres of turf to native meadow. This will enhance infiltration of stormwater and lessen the need for water withdrawals for irrigation purposes.

The City of Lebanon Authority will use grant funds for two projects, located in Schuylkill County and Lebanon County, PA. Grant funds will be used to modify the release facility at the Siegrist Reservoir to increase its capacity to satisfy the conservation release requirements of the authority’s Water Allocation Permit. Through meeting conservation release requirements, this change will ensure the protection of water users and aquatic ecosystems downstream of the reservoir along Mill Creek during periods of low flow. This project is located within a consumptive use priority watershed. Additionally, grant funds will be used to enhance the authority’s Leak Detection Program through the purchase of additional leak detection and correlation equipment to better comply with permit requirements. The purchase of new equipment will enable the authority to install leak detection equipment to cover the entire city limits to more efficiently address water loss and improve the city’s water use efficiency. This project is estimated to reduce unaccounted-for water from 22% to 20%, saving approximately 132,306 gallons of water daily. This project is located within a consumptive use priority watershed and environmental justice community.

The Rich Valley Golf Course, located in Cumberland County, PA, will use grant funds to upgrade their existing irrigation system to optimize their water use and reduce consumptive use by an estimated 20% during peak irrigation season. This includes the addition of a Centralized Management Control (CMC) which allows for precision irrigation. Funds will also be used to repair existing leaks within the system and install soil moisture sensors. This project is estimated to result in a 10.8 million gallon reduction in consumptive use annually. Additionally, Rich Valley Golf Course expects that upgrading to a more efficient irrigation system will result in additional time that can be allocated toward restoring native plant communities, wetlands, and woodland habitat on the property.

The Cocalico Creek Watershed Association will use grant funds to restore the floodplain along Little Cocalico Creek in Lancaster County, PA. The project is expected to result in 2.5 acres of floodplain and wetland restoration, maximizing the opportunity for infiltration and groundwater recharge and thus improving drought resiliency within the watershed. The project is estimated to increase groundwater recharge by approximately 3.2 million gallons annually. This project is located within the Conestoga River Watershed, a Commission identified consumptive use priority area.

Ephrata Area Joint Authority, serving three municipalities within Lancaster County, PA, will use grant funds to purchase and install leak detection data loggers within their distribution system. The loggers will aid in more efficient leak detection and response, mitigating water loss. This is expected to result in an estimated 22.5 million gallons of water savings annually, reducing the system’s impact on the Cocalico Creek Watershed, a consumptive use priority area. This effort will help to increase drought resiliency within the area by mitigating consumptive use.

Manheim Township will use grant funds to install an updated irrigation system at Overlook Golf Course in Lancaster County, PA. The new system will help to mitigate consumptive use through the use of technology that will use soil moisture readings to distribute water more precisely, lowering the quantity of water required for irrigation. This project is located within the Little Conestoga Watershed, a Commission identified consumptive use priority area. This project is expected to lower the golf course’s water usage by 10-15%, saving approximately 10,000 gallons daily.

The City of Lancaster will use grant funds to retrofit an existing green infrastructure stormwater best management practice (BMP). The project will include the expansion of existing subsurface infiltration beds and increase in stormwater storage capacity. The retrofit will help to manage stormwater surface runoff and support increased groundwater recharge. The city’s current infrastructure includes a combined sewer system (CSS), which collects stormwater runoff, sewage, and wastewater. Intense storm events can lead to overflows, resulting in untreated wastewater entering waterways. This project is estimated to manage 867,000 gallons of stormwater annually and divert 710,000 gallons from the CSS annually, helping to offset overflows and preserve water quality in the Conestoga River. This project is located within a consumptive use priority watershed and environmental justice community.

Meadia Heights Golf Club, located in Lancaster County, PA, will use grant funds to upgrade their irrigation system. Additionally, they will be transitioning fairways to a more drought-tolerant turfgrass. This project is located within the Conestoga River Watershed, a Commission identified consumptive use priority area. The implementation of a more efficient irrigation system and turfgrass conversion is expected to reduce water consumption by an estimated 7.2 million gallons annually, and decrease withdrawals from the Conestoga River. This project is located within an environmental justice community.

The Chester Water Authority, serving Lancaster, Chester, and Delaware Counties, will use grant funds to procure a satellite scan of its water system from ASTERRA to identify and address leaks within the distribution system. Though CWA serves areas outside of the Susquehanna River Basin, 100% of their water is sourced from the basin. This project will aid in reducing water loss and contribute to the conservation of water resources within the basin. The authority estimates that this effort will result in a 120 million gallon per year reduction in water loss.