Sen. Steve Santarsiero and Reps. John Galloway and Tina Davis announced that Bristol Borough will receive $110,000 in state funding for a watershed restoration project benefiting the borough.
The project will create a vegetated swale at the wooded area between Green and Howell streets in the borough. The existing swale has severe erosion, little-to-no vegetation in the flow area and sediment buildup.
“As we see increased rainfall and flooding impact the residents of Bristol Borough, it is clear we need to implement solutions that help protect the homes and businesses in the area, while combating the devastating effects of climate change,” said Santarsiero. “Vegetated swales, like the one that will be constructed on Howell Street, will use native plants to help manage stormwater runoff, filter pollutants and improve water infiltration.”
Converting the existing stormwater swale to a vegetated bioswale will help effectively treat and control the runoff going into the swale by filtering out pollutants and sediments, slowing runoff and promoting infiltration. Native plants with deep roots and grasses will assist in building up the soil structure and allow water to infiltrate the ground more easily.
“This money will provide critical assistance to Bristol Borough in reducing the impact of heavy rainfall on our communities by constructing the Howell Street vegetated swale,” said Galloway. “We need support from our local, state and federal government to prepare our communities’ infrastructure for the increasingly violent impact of climate change. This state grant is a step in the right direction.”
“As we are affected by increasingly violent storms, we must be innovative and resourceful in our approaches to mitigating their impact on our communities,” said Davis. “It’s not enough to have innovative ideas. We need the money, too, to make these ideas reality, and the commonwealth has thankfully provided critical fiscal support to Bristol Borough so it can implement one such innovation to its infrastructure.”
Bristol Borough manager James Dillon echoed the environmental impact of the project, saying, “Borough council will be grateful for this grant, which will be used to benefit the environment.”
