How LCA’s Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Helped Support Chobani’s $1.2 Billion Investment

Chobani’s $1.2 billion investment in the Lehigh Valley is a major economic development win for our region and for Pennsylvania. This project, the largest private investment in Pennsylvania’s agriculture industry, is expected to create 900 full-time jobs over the next five years and expand opportunities for more than 4,000 dairy farmers across the Commonwealth.

A project of this scale also requires significant planning behind the scenes; it wouldn’t happen without the engineering and planning needed when it comes to water and wastewater infrastructure.

Over the last several months, LCA has worked with Chobani, the Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro and his Office of Transformation, and municipal partners to understand the project’s water and wastewater needs and determine how existing and future infrastructure could support this project. That work includes looking at what the system capacity is, treatment needs, infrastructure connections and any impact on the service we supply to customers.

“Lehigh County Authority has a long history of supporting our region’s economic vitality through the water and sewer services we provide,” said Liesel Gross, CEO of Lehigh County Authority. “We were excited to be called upon to develop creative water solutions for this project, alongside Chobani, and other state and local partners.”

LCA’s engineers, planners, operators, environmental specialists, maintenance professionals, and many other employees contributed their expert knowledge of our water and wastewater systems to help identify practical solutions. Their experience operating, maintaining, and planning for projects exactly like these allowed the team to assess both the immediate needs of the project and the investments that will be necessary to support it over the long term.

Regional Collaboration

The solutions developed in partnership to support Chobani’s project in the Lehigh Valley included new municipal approaches to sharing sewer system allocation, development of sustainable water supply projects and use of innovative technologies, and reinvestment in industrial pretreatment facilities that serve some of our region’s largest employers

This project shows why regional coordination matters. LCA worked with the County of Lehigh, City of Allentown, South Whitehall Township, Lower Macungie Township and Upper Macungie Township to find creative infrastructure solutions for this project. Water and wastewater systems often cross municipal boundaries, so for projects like this to happen in our region we will always need communities to work together.

The Commonwealth has also recognized the importance of infrastructure to the project. Pennsylvania is providing $50 million in loans and grants through the PA SITES program to support improvements related to the Chobani development.

The Importance of Water and Wastewater in Economic Development

The work happening around this project is a good example of why water and wastewater utilities need to be involved early in conversations about major development. Companies evaluating sites need to know that essential infrastructure can reliably support their operations, while utilities need time to evaluate what those demands mean for existing customers and future needs.

Investments in water and wastewater infrastructure protect public health every day, but they also help communities prepare for responsible growth. Chobani’s decision to invest in the Lehigh Valley shows what can happen when state government, municipalities, utilities and private partners plan together and take a regional approach to infrastructure.