State Grants Help Local Communities Improve Water Systems

(KNSI) – Several central Minnesota communities have made the cut for state funding to help with major infrastructure improvements.

The Minnesota Public Facility Authority, working through the Department of Employment and Economic Development, has awarded $91.7 million to 15 cities across the state to facilitate the replacement of 1,000 lead service lines.

DEED Commissioner Matt Varilek says, “The MPFA’s funding is vital to cities around the state, ensuring that every Minnesotan has clean, accessible drinking water.”

MPFA Executive Director Steve Walter says the initiative goes beyond just public health. “By providing crucial financing and technical assistance to communities that might not have access to it otherwise, the MPFA encourages economic growth and protects the health of Minnesotan communities, creating the infrastructure for long-term prosperity.”

Foley is getting $664,898 to replace 40 lead lines with copper. In Rockville, it’s $1,201,000 to rehabilitate three lift stations that serve as the heartbeat of the city’s water system. St. Cloud was granted $2,362,966 to install 187 copper lines. Sauk Rapids is the last local city on the list, awarded $645,800 for 56 lines.

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