Four Northern Iowa infrastructure projects receive state grants

NORA SPRINGS – Awards totaling $2.6 million were announced this week for seven communities across the state, including four in the Northern Iowa region. The Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) awarded Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds to support community water and sewer infrastructure projects. Grants are awarded based upon the benefit to low- and moderate-income persons, financial need, project impact and readiness, and commitment of local resources to the project. IEDA received 16 applications totaling $6.3 million in funding requests.

“Assisting communities investing in infrastructure projects is an important step in helping them become development ready,” said Debi Durham, director of the IEDA. “These federal funds will have a significant impact on many communities in our state.”

CDBG funds enable communities to make needed improvements to water and sewer systems, improve housing conditions for low-income homeowners, provide facilities for disabled and at-risk individuals, and make transformative improvements to its downtowns.
The CDBG program is federally funded through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). IEDA is responsible for administering CDBG funds in Iowa’s non-metropolitan areas.

The projects in the Northern Iowa region include:

Nora Springs: $500,000 to construct a new Wastewater Treatment Facility, an Activated Sludge Package Plant; $6,972,300 total project cost.

Lakota: $255,000 for construction of a new gravity iron filtration water treatment plant and demolition of existing treatment facility, $354,000 total project cost.

Marble Rock: $300,000 for Water Main Replacement, Valves, Hydrants, Service Lines, Restoration, Mobilization, Construction Administration; $328,400 total project cost.

Spencer: $600,000 for construction of improvements to separate the combined storm water and sanitary sewer systems and to meet compliance of the EPA Consent Order for CSO; $1,520,000 total project cost.