$10 million to help bring 18 rural Kansas utilities back up to code

TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) - Around $10 million will help bring 18 utilities that serve rural Kansans up to code with the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.

Kansas Governor Laura Kelly says that the Kansas Department of Health and Environment has awarded $10 million to local agencies through the Small Town Water and Sewer Infrastructure Assistance grant program. The funds will help 18 small communities improve services.

Gov. Kelly noted that the program received funds through the Strengthening People and Revitalizing Kansas program funded by the federal American Rescue Plan Act.

“These investments go a long way to provide the necessary resources to update wastewater infrastructure and meet the needs of our communities,” the Governor said. “These upgrades will make sure small towns are able to provide safe and clean water, improving the livelihood of their residents.”

Kelly said the applicants consisted of water and wastewater utilities with a population of less than 1,000 and have a public health or regulatory compliance issue that infrastructure improvements would help resolve.

“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.”

Grant awardees are as follows:

Utility	Project	Award	Population
City of Albert	Rehabilitation of existing wastewater lagoon cells to remove contaminated soil and install a new clay liner.	$56,000	128
City of Arlington	Construction of new public water supply wells in a new area to replace existing water supply wells that exceed the maximum contaminant level for nitrate.	$1,035,000	431
City of Copeland	Construction of a new public water supply well, disinfection treatment facility and interconnection with an existing well to reduce nitrate contaminants below the maximum contaminant level.	$600,000	251
City of Galva	Construction of new public water supply wells, transmission mains, a disinfection treatment facility and a blending facility to resolve arsenic contamination	$1,016,230	870
City of Herndon	Rehabilitation of the existing wastewater lagoon facility to resolve a KDHE Consent Order to improve the lagoon system.	$50,000	121
City of Ingalls	Replacement of a failing sewage lift station that bypasses the treatment facility when inoperable.	$112,000	249
City of Hanston	Construction of a non-discharging lagoon treatment system to replace the existing 60-year-old wastewater treatment plant that cannot meet permit requirements in accordance with a KDHE Consent Order.	$499,000	260
City of Holyrood	Interconnection of existing wells to a blending station facility to reduce radium contamination below the maximum contaminant level.	$187,000	409
Miami Co. - Bucyrus	Abandonment of the existing non-compliant wastewater treatment facility and interconnection with the City of Spring Hill to treat wastewater.	$1,500,000	192
City of Morland	Rehabilitation of the existing lagoon treatment facility to comply with allowable seepage rates.	$210,000	115
City of Narka	Replacement of an aerial truss collector pipe at the downstream end of the City’s sanitary sewer collection system that leaks raw sewage.	$283,000	80
City of Olsburg	Improvement of the existing lagoon treatment facility that is not meeting current permit requirements and conversion to a non-discharging facility.	$490,000	221
City of Palco	Construction of a new water treatment plant to reduce nitrate contaminants below the maximum contaminant level.	$500,000	210
Riley Co. - University Park Sewer Benefit District	Construction of a non-discharging lagoon facility to replace the existing mechanical treatment facility that cannot meet permit requirements.	$1,500,000	300
City of Susank	Rehabilitation of the existing lagoon treatment system to comply with allowable seepage rates.	$300,000	28
City of Sylvia	Construction of new wells to supply water with nitrate contaminants below the maximum contaminant level.	$1,000,000	210
Reno Co. Rural Water District 101	Interconnection with Hutchinson and blend the existing water supply to reduce nitrate contaminants below the maximum contaminant level.	$600,000	200
Rooks Co. Rural Water District No. 3	Rehabilitation of the existing water treatment plant to improve the removal of nitrate contaminants below the maximum contaminant level.	$61,770	380