JEFFERSON CITY, MO, JAN. 11, 2022 - The Missouri Department of Natural Resources awarded $981,000 in financial assistance to the city of Van Buren to connect the wastewater flow from Deer Run Reorganized Common Sewer District to Van Buren’s wastewater treatment system. The funding is provided through the Clean Water State Revolving Fund Regionalization Incentive Grant program. The grant will fund all of the eligible construction costs for the sewer connection project, which is expected to be completed by April 2022.
The Regionalization Incentive Grant is a competitive grant program that offers funding to municipalities as an incentive to construct connections for small, struggling facilities. The entities responsible for these small facilities often lack the financial and technical resources to upgrade their wastewater treatment facilities to meet more stringent limits and operate their facilities appropriately. These facilities typically serve such a small number of connections that the cost to comply with permit conditions is a significant financial challenge for the users.
“The intent of this grant is to facilitate regional partnerships that would not be possible otherwise,” said Dru Buntin, director of the Department of Natural Resources. “Water and wastewater systems are essential infrastructure that support community health and economic vitality. Projects funded through this grant will reduce the number of point sources releasing pollutants to Missouri’s waterways and provide a local economic boost.”
“Van Buren and our partners in the Deer Run Reorganized Sewer District are so happy to receive the Missouri Department of Natural Resources Regionalization Grant,” said Mike Hoerner, mayor of Van Buren. “Deer Run has had a long-standing sewer treatment problem which has affected the Current River’s National Scenic Riverways. The grant will allow our city to partner with Deer Run and resolve the issue by constructing a connection between our two systems. Without the grant, we honestly don’t know how the situation would have ever been resolved. We want to thank MoDNR and their great staff for helping us.”
The department’s Financial Assistance Center is committed to working with communities to assist with water and wastewater infrastructure improvement projects. These projects will be funded wholly 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.