State Invests In Water, Sewer Projects
Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte has announced the investment of nearly $150 million for water and sewer infrastructure projects across the state.
“Montana is leading the nation in making critical water and sewer infrastructure investments, with more than 80 percent of them supporting our rural communities,” Governor Gianforte said. “With funds devoted toward constructing new systems and improving existing ones, more Montana communities will have access to reliable, sustainable water and wastewater systems.” As recommended by the Infrastructure Advisory Commission, $121 million will fund 73 top-ranked competitive grant projects, which the governor announced in mid-August. Each grant has a cap of $2 million per project. Associated Minimum Allocation Grants, totaling $20.2 million will also be awarded for those projects.
The Wolf Point Wastewater System Improvements project was ranked 43rd. Total project cost is listed as $4,630,000.
The Circle Water System Improvements project was ranked 55th. Total project cost is listed as $3,222,000.
The governor is also awarding American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Water and Sewer Minimum Allocation Grants totaling $5.8 million to 13 eligible projects.
Project rankings were conducted by a team of technical experts in drinking water, wastewater, engineering, and project management at the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC).
In addition to HB 632 which appropriated ARPA funds for water and sewer competitive grants, the Montana Legislature also appropriated $150 million of ARPA funds for water and sewer minimum allocation grants to towns, cities, and counties. These grants are not competitive. Applications exclusive to minimum allocation grants are being accepted on an ongoing basis until Jan. 1, 2023. Applications must be reviewed for eligibility by DNRC before the agency can recommend those projects to the Infrastructure Advisory Commission.
Applicants for competitive water and sewer grants can visit arpa.mt.gov to log in to see their final score.
The next Infrastructure Advisory Commission meeting will be held on Sept. 22. Public comments or letters of support regarding a specific project application can be mailed to dnrarpa@mt.gov or submitted in the Public Comment Form online.
