The Missouri Department of Natural Resources will be assisted by a $48,000 grant to help the city of Carl Junction in evaluating its wastewater collection system.
According to The Joplin Globe, the agency announced the approval of the Small Community Engineering Assistance Program grant, provided through the department’s Financial Assistance Center. The department works on water, grants and loans to fund wastewater and drinking water infrastructure.
Director of the center, Hannah Humphrey, said they award grants up to $50,000 for communities with a population of 10,000 or less and needs assistance with planning wastewater infrastructure projects.
According to Humphrey, communities could be eligible for the grant if they have an aging wastewater system and the water is seeping into the collection system. Thus, causing the system to overwork itself.
“This grant can also pay for an engineer to do an assessment of treatment upgrades that are needed for new permit requirements based on water quality,” she said to The Joplin Globe. “This has been a great resource for small communities in Missouri over the years.”
According to the Globe, the grant funds up to 80% of the project while communities are required to provide anywhere from 10 to 20%.
City Administrator Steve Lawver said the city will be contributing $12,000 for the estimated $60,000 project. The funds will be used for engineering services, according to the Globe.
“We’ll get a report from the engineers highlighting the areas that we need to do some spot repairs or need to do further investigation like putting a camera down in the pipe,” Lawver said to The Joplin Globe. “It’s a good way of getting financial help for when you want to know where you’re at and how you want to move forward in the future to keeping a good system.”
According to Lawver, portions of the system are outdated and need an evolution to help locate problematic areas. The system will need to be evaluated for infiltration and inflow, where stormwater and groundwater can enter the sewer system through manholes, gaps in sewer lines or valves, according to The Joplin Globe.
The final phase of the project will be the engineering evaluation, anticipated for completion in 2020.