TOPEKA, Kan. — Governor Laura Kelly today announced that the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) is awarding $10 million from the agency’s Small Town Water and Sewer Infrastructure Assistance (STWSIA) grant program to help 18 small communities improve water and wastewater services. Three of those communities are in Reno County, with one in McPherson County.
That program received the funds through the Strengthening People and Revitalizing Kansas (SPARK) program funded by the federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).
Grant applicants were comprised of water and wastewater utilities with a population of less than 1,000 and that have a public health or regulatory compliance issue that infrastructure improvements would help resolve.
“These investments go a long way to provide the necessary resources to update wastewater infrastructure and meet the needs of our communities,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “These upgrades will make sure small towns are able to provide safe and clean water, improving the livelihood of their residents.”
“There is a great need for investment in water and wastewater infrastructure,” said Leo Henning, KDHE Deputy Secretary for Environment. “The Small Town Water and Sewer Infrastructure Assistance program allows for improvements and developments in communities that may otherwise be prohibited due to cost. KDHE will partner with the awarded communities to implement the projects outlined in their applications.”
The four Hutch Post area utilities recieving grants are:
The City of Arlington ($1,035,000, population of 431) for new public water supply wells in a new area to replace existing water supply wells that exceed the maximum contaminant level for nitrate.
The City of Galva ($1,016,230, population 870) for new public water supply wells, transmission mains, a disinfection treatment facility, and a blending facility to resolve arsenic contamination.
The City of Sylvia ($1,000,000, population 210) to construct new wells to supply water with nitrate contaminants below the maximum contaminant level.
Reno County Rural Water District 101 ($600,000, population 200) to interconnect with Hutchinson and blend the existing water supply to reduce nitrate contaminants below the maximum contaminant level.
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