New program aimed at cleaning up drinking water
(The Center Square) – Cleaning up Delaware’s drinking water is the focus of a new program, Gov. John Carney said.
The governor announced funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will be used to fund a grant program aimed at providing clean drinking water and wastewater system improvements in the state with the creation of the Clean Water Trust.
The application process is now open, Carney said, and funds will be made available in loans and grants.
“Delawareans deserve clean water. It’s as simple as that,” Carney said in the release. “Access to clean and safe water should be a promise we make to our residents, and we need to protect this resource for future generations. The combination of the Clean Water Trust – led by Rep. Valerie Longhurst, D-Bear, and Sen. Brian Townsend, D-Newark – and the new federal funding led by Senators Tom Carper, D-1, and Chris Coons, D-2, and Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester, D-1, will help us deliver on the promise of clean water for all Delawareans.”
The program is open to cities, towns, counties, water companies and communities, according to the release. Funding under the program comes from the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund, which is administered by the state’s Division of Public Health and the Clean Water State Revolving Fund, which is administered by the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control.
According to the release, the state’s $315 million earmarked for clean water and drinking water will be available over the next five years. Water and wastewater projects eligible for funding includes disadvantaged communities, addressing emerging contaminants such as PFAS, and to find, replace, and remove lead lines and lead components.
PFAS is an acronym for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances.
For this year, $29 million in drinking water funding is available for projects that include source water protection, treatment, storage, distribution, cybersecurity, and sustainable energy projects, and an additional $16.5 million for wastewater treatment facility upgrades is available. The state has also committed $28 million for lead service drinking line identification and replacement.
According to the release, the federal funding will work in unison with state funding over the next several years to be used to complete projects.
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