City will construct a new wastewater treatment system
JEFFERSON CITY, MO, April 26, 2024 – The Missouri Department of Natural Resources has awarded $20.1 million in financial assistance to the city of Higginsville for the construction of a new wastewater treatment facility. The project is estimated to total $20.9 million and is expected to be completed by November 2025.
The new wastewater treatment facility will increase the city’s current wastewater treatment capacity and provide additional capacity for accepting wastewater from the other city-owned treatment facilities. This regionalized treatment strategy will be the focus of the project’s next phase.
Project funding consists of a $16.6 million loan, a $3.5 million grant through the Clean Water State Revolving Fund and a $750,000 Community Development Block Grant from the Missouri Department of Economic Development. The department’s funding is estimated to save the city’s ratepayers $3.5 million in principal and nearly $8.2 million in interest over the loan’s 29-year term.
“Thriving communities make a thriving state, and every community must have effective water infrastructure to remain strong and vibrant,” said Missouri Governor Mike Parson. “This funding helps communities like Higginsville improve outdated wastewater systems to better serve Missourians every day.”
“Grants and low-interest loans through the State Revolving Fund help Missouri communities fund treatment system improvements that they might not have been able to undertake otherwise,” said Dru Buntin, director of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources. “Projects like this help protect public health and the environment, which improves the quality of life for Missourians.”
The Clean Water State Revolving Fund finances wastewater treatment facility improvement, sewer collection system rehabilitation and combined sewer overflow corrections. It also provides financing for treatment facility security, efficiency and conservation measures. Communities that borrow from the fund benefit from the below-market interest rate and from expert assistance provided by a department project manager.
The department is committed to assisting Missouri communities with water and wastewater infrastructure improvement projects. Through its Financial Assistance Center, the department provides funding opportunities for qualified communities with water quality, wastewater and drinking water infrastructure needs. This project will be funded wholly or in part with monies received from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
For more information on wastewater and drinking water funding opportunities, visit dnr.mo.gov/water/business-industry-other-entities/financial-opportunities/financial-assistance-center.