(Des Moines) Two southwest Iowa communities were awarded grants to advance water quality projects.
The funding is made available through the Wastewater and Drinking Water Treatment Financial Assistance Program, which was created as a part of Senate File 512, the first legislation signed into law by Governor Reynolds in January 2018.
Treynor was awarded $300,000 for Wastewater Treatment Improvements – LemTec Polishing Reactor; UV Disinfection. The total estimated project cost is $4,871,522. Mount Ayr was awarded $300,000 for Wastewater Transmission Improvements. The total estimated project cost is $866,400.
The Wastewater and Drinking Water Treatment Financial Assistance Program receives a portion of the tax on metered water and had more than $6 million available for allocation in 2021. Grants will be awarded through the program on an annual basis through 2039.
The 2021 program received 18 applications requesting more than $6.5 million in water quality grants. A committee consisting of designees from the Iowa Finance Authority, Iowa Department of Natural Resources and the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship judged the Wastewater and Drinking Water Financial Assistance Program applications based on the program’s priorities.
Priorities for grant awards include: Disadvantaged communities; Projects that will significantly improve water quality in their watershed; Projects that use alternative wastewater treatment technologies; Communities with the highest sewer or water rates; Projects that use technology to address nutrient reduction; and projects to address improvements to drinking water source waters.
