Funding will help communities provide drinking water to citizens

JEFFERSON CITY, MO, SEPT. 13, 2018 - The Missouri Department of Natural Resources is awarding almost $1 million to help eight community water systems in northwest Missouri counties hardest hit by drought.

The department made this emergency funding available in response to Governor Parson’s Executive Order No 18-05. The funding will assist with construction projects intended to ensure drought-impacted small communities are able to maintain an adequate supply of drinking water for their citizens. The department is working closely with the Missouri Department of Economic Development to leverage state dollars with Community Development Block Grants to provide assistance to public water systems with critical supply needs in drought alert areas.

"We began to see serious drought impacts this summer," said Governor Parson. "We will continue to be proactive in addressing local infrastructure needs to deliver much needed water to communities with critical supply needs."

The following eight community water systems are set to receive the emergency drought funding:

  • Daviess County Public Water Supply No. 2: The system will construct a permanent emergency connection to Caldwell County Public Water Supply District No. 2 to provide an additional 30,000 gallons of water per day. The department committed $359,366 for this project.
  • King City: The city will construct an emergency connection to DeKalb County Public Water Supply No. 1 to access an additional 35,000 gallons of water per day. The department committed $101,000 for this project.
  • North Central Missouri Regional Water Commission with Grundy County Public Water Supply No. 1: The systems will upgrade the Trenton pump station monitoring and install equipment to enhance the Trenton emergency connection to maximize the flow of finished water. The department committed $100,250 for this project.
  • Milan: The city will install an emergency intake and construct piping to pump raw water through force mains from East Locust Creek to city lakes. The department committed $92,113 for this project.
  • Sullivan County Public Water Supply No. 1: The system will construct a booster pump station at the South Milan Tower, provide enhancements to the Trenton Pump Station and construct an interconnection with Linn/Livingston Public Water Supply District No. 3. The department committed $69,898 for this project.
  • North Central Missouri Regional Water Commission: The commission will repair the Big Locust Creek intake to Elmwood Reservoir. The department committed $44,579 for this project.
  • Caldwell County Public Water Supply No. 3: This system will construct an emergency connection to the city of Hamilton to provide an additional 30,000 gallons of water per day. The department committed $41,000 for this project.
  • City of Hamilton: The city will construct an emergency connection to Caldwell County Public Water Supply No. 3 to receive an additional 30,000 gallons of water per day. The department committed $27,000 for this project.


In August, the Department of Natural Resources awarded Caldwell County Public Water Supply No. 2 and the city of Cameron grants totaling $77,380 to help their systems maintain an adequate supply of drinking water.

To date, the 10 grants awarded through the Department of Natural Resources for emergency drought funding total $912,568.

"Shortage of drinking water is a serious issue for any Missouri community," said Carol Comer, director of the Department of Natural Resources. "These grants are a step forward as we work to develop short- and long-term solutions for clean and dependable water sources." 

Governor Parson, the Department of Natural Resources and the Department of Economic Development continue to monitor drought impacts to Missouri public water systems in drought alert areas and offer financial assistance programs for infrastructure improvements that enhance drought resilience.

Last month, Governor Parson announced the creation of a lottery for farmers to cut hay, free of charge, on almost 1,000 acres of state land at 17 Missouri state parks and made emergency water access available for family farms at 28 Department of Conservation areas and five Department of Natural Resources state parks.

Additional information is available online at https://dnr.mo.gov/drought.htm.

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