The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation announced on Wednesday a series of new grants for localities “in the form of drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater infrastructure grants.” The $232 million in grant funding will come from American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), also known as COVID Stimulus Package. Tennessee was originally given nearly $4 billion from the ARPA to combat the effects of COVID-19.
Governor Lee touted the announcement as a boon for local water districts. “These grants will address important water infrastructure needs for local communities across Tennessee. We look forward to the improvements these projects will bring, and we commend the communities who have gone through the application process,” he said in a statement.
Lieutenant Governor Randy McNally also stressed the importance of this funding, noting that “[m]ore than ever, infrastructure is critically important to our local communities. This money will allow cities and towns to address deficiencies and make improvements that will pay dividends not just in the present but in the years to come as well.”
Looking beyond existing deficiencies, Speaker of the House Cameron Sexton (R-Crossville) noted the state’s growth, and that “many of our communities require additional resources to address their evolving needs.” None of the three officials alluded to the original purpose of the ARP funds in their released statements.
One notable grant – out of the package of 102 included in the package – is the $10 million allotted to the City of Murfreesboro. Murfreesboro will use the funds for addressing “the critical need of WWTP capacity and make improvements to the wastewater system. Murfreesboro will complete four projects for its wastewater system, which will correct defects in its large diameter mainlines, address issues with their small diameter mainlines and associated manholes, and address the upsizing in lines resulting in restrictions in a portion of the system.” The Murfreesboro Water Resources Department’s 2022 Annual Water Quality Report found that the city’s drinking water “meets or exceeds all federal and state requirements.”
Another large grant of over $15 million is being directed to Knox County. These funds will be used to “address critical needs and increase the availability of clean drinking water to rural areas of the county. Projects include the construction of a stormwater pumpstation, sewer rehabilitation, updates to booster stations and raw water intakes, aged water line improvements, and new zone water meters to address water loss.” Knox County has up to 10,000 estimated wells, with only 30 percent of them having been identified.
The grant funds were allocated by the Financial Stimulus Accountability Group, a board of both elected and appointed officials originally created in 2020.
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Mac Roberts is a reporter at The Tennessee Star. Email tips to [email protected].
Money, money everywhere but nary a cent in citizen tax relief.