STORIES OF PROGRESS IN ACHIEVING HEALTHY WATERS
PA BOROUGH TURNING MAIN STREET INTO GREEN STREET
Etna, PA; November 12, 2015
•	EPA Section 319 funds help Borough of Etna
transform its downtown into a green
streetscape.
•	More than 500,000 gallons of stormwater
captured per block, per year.
•	Businesses and community take "leap of faith."
Progress: With EPA assistance, a small community near Pittsburgh is turning its main street into a green street
to control stormwater runoff that has caused flooding, sewer backups and combined sewer overflows.
General Information;
The Borough of Etna - where flooding was so bad the borough manager used to introduce herself as Mary Ellen
from "Wetna" - is applying EPA Clean Water Act Section 319 funds to transform its downtown into a green
streetscape to capture more than 500,000 gallons of stormwater per block each year.
EPA has provided design and construction funding through the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental
Protection's Growing Greener program for the first two blocks, or phases, of the planned six-block project in
the Butler Street central business district.
EPA joined Etna and state officials last year to cut the ribbon for the first block of the project which is using a
variety of green techniques to intercept runoff from rooftops and paved surfaces. And just recently, Etna was
informed it is receiving more than $550,000 for Phase II.
Specifics:
Borough Manager Mary Ellen Ramage said flooding has been a major issue for Etna - from big events like
Hurricane Ivan in 2004 when a quarter of the population was flooded and water rose as high as seven feet
inside the municipal building - to more frequent, less severe storms. Etna is the most downstream community
in the 67 square-mile Pine Creek watershed.
Ramage said Etna placed its trust in green infrastructure as the answer to its
stormwater woes. "I'm so proud of our business people and the community,"
she said. "We all took the leap of faith together and it's worked out so, so well."
The project is designed to remove stormwater from the combined sewer system, reduce runoff and improve
the aesthetic appeal of the downtown area. The reconstructed blocks are part of the borough's Green Master
Plan and the Pine Creek Watershed Implementation Plan. The flow reduction actions allow the ALCOSAN
system to manage, pump and treat less wastewater and decrease the chances of sewer overflows into Pine
Creek and the Allegheny River.
One of the distinctive aspects of Phase II will be the conversion of a vacant lot into a "rain park" that will
include trees, benches and water terraces and will process stormwater from 20 or so downspouts disconnected
from storefronts. The second phase will also involve street trees, underground storage, decorative grates,
pervious pavers and other green features. Ramage said the streetscape project is serving as an educational
tool for residents and businesses interested in learning more about green infrastructure and its benefits.
Contacts: Mike Hoffmann, EPA WPD Office of State/Watershed Partnerships, hoffmann.michael@epa.gov
Mary Ellen Ramage, Etna Borough, meramage@etnaborough.org

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