JEFFERSON CITY, MO. - The Missouri Department of Natural Resources has awarded a $40,000 Small Community Engineering Assistance Program grant to the city of Houstonia, in Pettis County, to evaluate wastewater collection and treatment system repairs.
"Small Community Engineering Assistance Program Grants provide communities with the resources to examine local infrastructure and the opportunity to make the necessary repairs to extend the expected life of these vital systems," said Carol Comer, director of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.
The city will use the grant funds to develop a facility plan to evaluate lagoon upgrades that are necessary in order to meet future ammonia limits, and to assess the collection system for reduced inflow and infiltration. Inflow and infiltration can be groundwater, stormwater or drinking water flowing directly into the sewer system. This results in higher volumes of water being unnecessarily transported and treated, which increases costs and energy usage. The facility plan is estimated to cost $50,000 and is expected to be completed in November 2017.
The Department of Natural Resources will administer the grant funds and is committed to working with communities to assist with water and wastewater infrastructure improvement projects. The department’s Water Protection Financial Assistance Center assists with funding for communities with water quality, wastewater and drinking water infrastructure needs.
For more information, visit http://dnr.mo.gov/env/wpp/srf/index.html.