More than $265 million in state loans and grants will go to 27 wastewater and drinking water infrastructure projects early this year.
Minnesota cities land $265M in loans and grants for water, wastewater projects
St. Cloud and Kandiyohi County will each receive grants of more than $22 million to upgrade their wastewater treatment facilities and two greater Minnesota water systems will share a similar amount.
The Minnesota Star Tribune
January 3, 2025 at 5:30PM
The Minnesota Public Facilities Authority announced the loans and grants to help cities replace aging infrastructure and make system improvements to improve water quality, the MPFA said in a news release.
Of the total, $182 million comes from the MPFA’s Clean Water State Revolving Fund and Drinking Water State Revolving Fund, supported by federal appropriations through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, state match appropriations and revolving loan repayments, the release said.
“The MPFA provides crucial financing and technical assistance to help communities build public infrastructure that protects public health and the environment,” said Jeff Freeman, executive director of the Minnesota Public Facilities Authority, in the release. “Investing in the well-being of Minnesota’s infrastructure is a catalyst to economic growth and prosperity.”
Three grants of around $22 million will go to three greater Minnesota projects.
St. Cloud and Kandiyohi County will each receive more than $22 million for their wastewater treatment facility upgrades. And the Lewis and Clark Rural Water System will receive $22 million to expand its capacity to deliver more water to the cities of Luverne and Worthington and to the Lincoln Pipestone and Rock County rural water systems.
Rochester will also receive $80 million to fix and upgrade its wastewater treatment plant.
Smaller sums will go to the greater Minnesota cities of Rice Lake, Cologne, Clearbrook, Trosky, Atwater, Chisholm, Pelican Rapids, Edgerton, Redwood Falls, Annandale, Evansville, Aurora, Lino Lakes, Frazee, Lowry, Hill City, Bird Island, Staples and Eagle Bend; and metro-area cities Oak Park Heights, Inver Grove Heights, West St. Paul and Dayton.
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