Tester announces $3 million for infrastructure upgrades for Montana water systems

Senator Jon Tester today announced nearly $3 million in Army Corps of Engineer grants for rural Montana water projects. Montana communities will use this funding to upgrade local water infrastructure.

Tester, a member of the Appropriations subcommittee that funds water programs, supported Montana water infrastructure projects as communities applied for these grants, which are made possible through the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) Section 595 program. The grants can be used to upgrade wastewater treatment facilities, water supply infrastructure, environmental restoration, and surface water resource protection and development.

“Access to clean water is critical to the health of our communities,” Tester said. “Making vital investments in our water infrastructure will improve wellness and boost economic development for folks across our state.”

The program supports investments in rural water infrastructure and was created in 1999.

Local water systems in Montana receiving the grants are:

• Belt, $250,000
• Bitterroot, $250,000
• Butte Silver-Bow, $322,000
• Eureka, $300,000
• Gallatin Gateway, $232,000
• Glendive, $200,000
• Joliet, $250,000
• South Wind Water in Great Falls, $500,000
• Three Forks, $400,000
• White Sulphur Springs, $300,000

The grant requires a local match of 25 percent from the local government.