Water District Receives Excellence in Financial Reporting Award

Department of Natural Resources awards $1.46 million in Recovery Act funds to 50 public water systems for engineering studies

JEFFERSON CITY, MO, AUG. 10, 2010 – The Department of Natural Resources has awarded more than $1.46 million in grants for engineering studies to 50 public water supply systems throughout the state.
These awards, which are being funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, will fund engineering reports and facility plans that will include data collection, analysis and water system planning. The grants total $1,466,729.
“Providing a reliable, safe supply of drinking water requires a substantial investment in infrastructure,” said Department of Natural Resources Director Mark N. Templeton. “We’re glad to be able to give these communities the boost they need to take the first step with these engineering studies.”
Such plans are valuable tools to help ensure continued delivery of adequate and safe drinking water to customers in an efficient and cost effective manner.
The Recovery Act provides significant funding to assist communities with infrastructure needs for water quality, wastewater and drinking water. This funding enables public water systems to hire an engineer to study their water system and advise them on how to achieve or maintain compliance with drinking water rules and regulations. This infusion of funding will help the city protect its citizens and the environment by taking the first steps toward making necessary drinking water improvements.
Recipients must be a community water system that serves or benefits 100,000 people or less. The grant can only be used to hire a Missouri-certified professional engineer. The grant recipients are required to provide a 10 percent match and make a good faith effort to obtain funding to construct the projects recommended in the engineering report.

In the Kansas City Region, 17 public water systems will receive a total of $526,599:
• Cameron, $21,249.
• Jameson, $12,000.
• Lathrop, $12,600.
• Liberty, $157,604.
• Oak Grove, $54,900.
• Plattsburg, $21,483.
• Pleasant Hill, $48,600.
• Savannah, $28,440.
• Stewartsville, $21,773.
• Daviess County Public Water Supply District # 2, $34,808.
• Henry County PWSD #4, $9,900.
• Cass Co. PWSD #2, $13,500.
• Cass County Public Water Supply District # 10, $13,500.
• Jackson County Public Water Supply District # 15, $9,900.
• Tri-County Water Authority, $39,342.
• Pettis Johnson & Saline counties PWSD #1, $20,250.
• Blue Branch Improvement Association, Inc., $6,750.

In the Northeast Region, nine water systems will receive at total of $252,090:
• Bowling Green, $13,500.
• City of Brookfield, $15,750.
• Kahoka, $11,970.
• LaPlata, $12,600.
• Moberly, $60,750.
• Macon County Public Water Supply District # 1, $25,020.
• Boonville, $45,000.
• Cole County Public Water Supply District # 3, $22,500.
• Cole County Public Water Supply District # 4, $45,000.

In the Southeast Region, nine systems will receive a total of $324,431:
• St. James, $22,050.
• Cape Girardeau, $144,540.
• Chaffee, $10,000.
• Dexter, $18,000.
• Fredericktown, $91,890.
• Morehouse, $6,451.
• Howell Oregon #2 West, $9,000.
• Howell Oregon #2 South, $9,000.
• Howell Oregon #2 North, $13,500.

In the St. Louis Region, nine systems will receive a total of $219,159:
• Public Water Supply District # 2 of St. Charles County-Foristell, $43,560.
• New Florence, $13,500.
• Pacific, $35,100.
• Wright City, $13,410.
• Jefferson Public Water Supply District #2, $61,045
• Public Water Supply District # 2 of St. Charles County-Augusta, $16,650.
• Public Water Supply District # 2 of St. Charles County-Warren, $21,150.
• Public Water Supply District # 2 of St. Charles County-Sumac Ridge, $7,650.
• Frontier Estates, $7,094

In the Southwest Region, six systems will receive a total of $144,450:
• Ozark, $54,000.
• Pierce City, $20,250.
• Taney County Public Water Supply District # 3, $24,300.
• Camden County #1, $15,300.
• Ivy Bend Resort, $15,300.
• Lake Ozark, $15,300.
The Department of Natural Resources’ Water Protection Program will administer the grant funds. This is the 10th year the department has provided this finding opportunity. The department is committed to working closely with communities to assist with funding efforts that support water and wastewater infrastructure improvement projects as well as provide a financial savings.
Public water supplies that have received an engineering report are given preferential consideration when applying for a loan from the Missouri State Revolving Loan Fund.
For more information on the federal Recovery Act, visit recovery.gov. For more information on Missouri’s transform initiatives, visit transform.mo.gov. For more information, contact the department’s Water Protection Program, Financial Assistance Center, P.O. Box 176, Jefferson City, MO 65102-0176 or call 800-361-4827 or 573-751-1192 or visit the department’s website at dnr.mo.gov/env/wpp/srf.