New investments from COVID-19 relief funds are being invested in the Alabama’s water and sewer systems, Gov. Kay Ivey said.
The governor announced Friday afternoon that $225 million in American Rescue Plan Act dollars are headed to the Alabama Department of Environmental Management as part of a pact that is designed to improve, or provide, water and sewer services to residents throughout the state.
“Every Alabamian should have access to clean drinking water and safe, sanitary disposal of wastewater,” Ivey said in the release. “We are extremely pleased that through this program we are able to make that a reality for many of our citizens who have lacked such basic services.
“Not only will these projects improve access to clean drinking water and sanitary sewers, they will also generate economic activity and create jobs by pumping millions of dollars into communities, many of which are rural and far from large industries and big employers.”
The Legislature, according to the release, earmarked $225 million for water and sewer projects that were deemed high priority during a special session called by Ivey in January. Funds were then sent to the Department of Finance before being appropriated to the department to run the program.
Funds will be awarded as grants, according to the release, from the Alabama Department of Environmental Management. Funding will be used to “improve access to clean water and sewer infrastructure projects” along with their economic impact. The department will institute the Water and Sewer Infrastructure COVID-19 Recovery Fund Program.
Under the program, according to the release, criteria will be put in place to weigh the needs of the water system and the financial situation of the applicant when it comes to approving applications.
For the program, according to the release, the Legislature appropriated $120 million for grants that are earmarked for public water or sewer systems that have already been deemed high priority. Of that, $100 million in grants may require local matching funds, and $5 million will address projects in the Black Belt that will address sewage disposal problems in rural areas.
The department announced that 398 of the 1,061 public water and sewer systems in the state have already submitted applications for grants under the COVID-19 Recovery Fund Program.
“This is an indication of the tremendous needs that exist among water and sewer systems,” ADEM Director Lance LeFleur said in the release. “It is also indicative of the vast water and sewer infrastructure needs across the country due to aging systems, increased demand because of population growth and the need to provide services to people who are currently unserved or underserved. Many of these systems haven’t upgraded their infrastructure in 40 to 50 years.”
This article was originally posted on Ivey announces Alabama water, sewer grant program
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