DES MOINES — State officials today announced that 18 Iowa communities have been awarded a total of more than $8 million in grants to advance water quality projects. The funding is made available through the Wastewater and Drinking Water Treatment Financial Assistance Program.
“This was the first bill I signed into law as governor in 2018,” said Gov. Reynolds. “Since then, the program has assisted 82 communities through a total of $34 million in grants, and an additional $1.3 billion in other funds leveraged to advance water quality infrastructure projects throughout the state.”
The 2024 program received 32 applicants requesting more than $15 million in water quality grants. A committee consisting of designees from the Iowa Finance Authority, Iowa Department of Natural Resources, and Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship judged the Wastewater and Drinking Water Financial Assistance Program applications based on the program’s priorities.
Priorities for grant awards include:
– Disadvantaged communities
– Projects that will significantly improve water quality in their watershed
– Projects that use alternative wastewater treatment technologies
– Communities with the highest sewer or water rates
– Projects that use technology to address nutrient reduction
– Projects to address improvements to drinking water source waters
The program receives a portion of the tax on metered water and had $8 million available for allocation in 2024. Grants will be awarded through the program on an annual basis through 2039.
The Wastewater program has assisted 82 communities through a total of $34 million in water quality grants since the first awards were granted in 2019. The program is expected to have approximately $7 million in available funds in 2025 based on the portion of tax that will be allocated to the program.
NIT reported in recent days that folks in Rockford, Iowa, are drinking discolored water, but they didn’t make the list for grants.