JEFFERSON CITY, MO, SEPT. 24, 2019 - The Missouri Department of Natural Resources awarded $3,613,841 in financial assistance to the city of Memphis for upgrades to the city’s water treatment plant. The assistance package is expected to cover the entire cost of the project, which is scheduled to be completed by November 2020.
The project funding consists of a $1,882,841 grant and a $1,731,000 low-interest loan through the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund. The State Revolving Fund provides financial assistance to communities with infrastructure needs for water quality, wastewater and drinking water. Administered by the department, the funding package is estimated to save the city’s ratepayers $1,882,841 in principal and approximately $600,000 in interest costs over the loan’s 20-year term.
The project includes rehabilitation of the water treatment plant’s secondary settling basins and filter systems, as well as replacing the outdated chemical feed equipment and updating the power system. A new control data collection system will be installed and the plant’s clearwells will be replaced with two new clearwells, each with a capacity of 89,000 gallons. Security fencing at the water treatment plant, the Lake Showme intake structure and the Old Memphis Lake pump station is also planned with this project.
"Investing in these communities provides them with the infrastructure and facilities necessary to maintain a strong quality of life," said Carol Comer, director of the Department of Natural Resources. "It also provides environmental benefits and positive economic impacts."
The department is committed to working closely with public entities to assist with funding efforts that support water and wastewater infrastructure improvement projects and provide financial savings. 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 https://dnr.mo.gov/env/wpp/srf/index.html.