DUANE SHERRILL
Contributor
The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) has announced 131 grants totaling $299,228,167 from the state’s American Rescue Plan (ARP) fund, part of which TDEC is administering in the form of drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater infrastructure grants. Among those getting a share of the pie are Marion County, Monteagle and other nearby areas.
Of the 131 grants announced recently, 29 are collaborative grants and 102 are non-collaborative grants. Collaborative grants involve multiple entities (cities, counties, or water utilities) partnering on projects to work toward a shared purpose. All grants awarded represent 469 individual drinking water, wastewater, and/or stormwater infrastructure projects.
Among the grant recipients:
Marion County, $1.7 million
Marion County, in collaboration with the Town of Jasper, the Town of Kimball, and the City of South Pittsburg, will use ARP funds to address critical needs and replace aging infrastructure. Projects include connecting water lines across the county through the installation of a new 12-inch water transmission line. The new water line connections will reduce breaks and leaks and control water loss if a major break or incident with the existing line were to occur.
Town of Monteagle, $1.1 million
The town of Monteagle will use ARP funds to develop an Asset Management Plan and address critical wastewater system needs. Repairs will be made to the sanitary sewer system in order to mitigate excessive infiltration and inflow during wet weather events.
Franklin County: $3.7 million
Franklin County, in collaboration with the Belvidere Rural Utility District, the Center Grove – Winchester Springs Utility District, and the Sewanee Utility District, will use ARP funds to create comprehensive Asset Management Plans and modernize, improve, and strengthen water infrastructure in the county. Projects include the implementation of well-performing asset management programs, the replacement of lead service lines, and water loss reduction efforts.
Sequatchie County, $1.6 million
Sequatchie County will use ARP funds to address critical needs, including aging infrastructure and water loss. Sequatchie County will replace two water tanks, reducing water loss, and make improvements to low water pressure due to the elevation of the pump station on John Henry Lewis Road.
The grants are part of the $1 billion non-competitive grant program. The remaining funds ($269 million) will go to state-initiated projects and competitive grants.
“As Tennessee continues to experience unprecedented growth, we’re prioritizing critical infrastructure investments that will address the needs of Tennesseans and give local communities the resources needed to thrive,” Gov. Bill Lee said. “We look forward to the improvements these projects will bring, and we commend the communities who have gone through the application process.”
Since August, TDEC has awarded and announced more than $9.3 million in grant funds through ARP programming.
