HELENA, Mont. (NMB) – Governor Greg Gianforte has announced the scores and ranking for the first round of applications for water and sewer investments by the state.
These applications are seeking a portion of the $250 million in COVID-relief funds that have been appropriated by the state legislature for competitive water and sewer grants.
243 projects received a ranking score, many of which are in north-central Montana (dollar amounts of funding requests are rounded off):
- No. 8 (tie): A Winifred Wastewater Treatment and Discharge project that is requesting $3.1 million (Project type is clean water)
- No. 21: A Winnett Wastewater System Retrofit project that is requesting $1 million (clean water)
- No. 30 (tie): A Lewistown Wastewater System Improvements project that is requesting $948,000 (Clean Water)
- No. 30 (tie): A Harlem Water System Improvements project that is requesting $3.2 million (drinking water)
- No. 46: A Chester Wastewater System Improvements project that is requesting $5.84 million (clean water)
- No. 47: A Shelby Water System Improvements project that is requesting $3.97 million (drinking water)
- No. 50: A Saco Wastewater System Improvements project that is requesting $1.49 million (clean water)
- No. 55: A Shelby Stormwater System Improvements and Wastewater Sludge Dewatering project that is requesting $1.87 million (clean water)
- No. 83 (tie): A North Valley County St. Marie Water and System District Water System Improvements project that is requesting $2.2 million (drinking water)
- No. 83 (tie): A Cut Bank Water Systems Improvements project that is requesting $3.28 million (drinking water)
- No. 96 (tie): A Hingham Wastewater System Improvements project that is requesting $4.56 million (clean water)
- No. 98 (tie): A Hill County Milk River Levee Upgrades project that is requesting $1.19 million (drinking water and clean water)
- No. 107 (tie): A North Central Montana Regional Water Authority Construction porject for Big Sandy, Tiber Pump Station, and Loma that is requesting $25 million (drinking water)
- No. 107 (tie): A Conrad Storm Water and Sewer Lift Stations project that is requesting $3.52 million (clean water)
- No. 115 (tie): A Malta Trafton Lift Station Improvements project that is requesting $600,000 (clean water)
- No. 115 (tie): A Hill County RSID 29 and 30 Lift Station project that is requesting $315,000 (clean water)
- No. 139: A Nashua Water System Improvements project that is requesting $5.87 million (drinking water)
- No. 144: A Havre project for Sanitary Sewer System Improvements for Clear Creek Court that is requesting $330,000 (clean water)
- No. 194 (tie): A North Havre County Water District Water Improvements Project that is requesting $400,000 (drinking water)
- No. 203 (tie): A Glasgow Transmission Main Replacement project that is requesting $5.01 million (drinking water)
- No. 210: A Fort Benton Water Systems Improvements project that is requesting $611,000 (drinking water)
- No. 219: A Sunburst Water Systems Upgrades project that is requesting $417,000 (drinking water)
- No. 238: A Big Sandy Drinking Water Systems project that is requesting $85,000 (drinking water)
In total, there were over 320 applications which requested over $900 million in grants. Scores were based on addressing serious health concerns, addressing affordability, and providing matching funds.
The applications were scored by technical experts at the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation.
The ranking is being submitted to the state’s ARPA Infrastructure Advisory Commission, which will next meet on August 26th and is expected to make a final recommendation to the Governor for which projects will be awarded funding. The top 60 projects in the rankings look likely to be the ones in line for funding.
Many applications were not scored due to them likely not meeting federal eligibility requirements from the U.S. Treasury Department. Several of these were for projects in north-central Montana:
- A Buffalo Trail Water District Water System Improvements project for Phillips County requesting $369,000 (drinking water)
- A Chester Water System Improvements project requesting $8.86 million (drinking water)
- A Grass Range Improvements project requesting $1 million (drinking water and clean water)
- A Hinsdale Water and Sewer Systems Upgrades project requesting $250,000 (drinking water and clean water)
- Four different applications from the Milk River Irrigation Project and/or the Joint Board of Control (all with listed project types of clean water and/or drinking water): one for the St. Mary Conveyance Works Replacement requesting $25 million, one for a St. Mary Siphon Replacement ($25 million), one for the Fresno Recreation and Water Safety project ($8.96 million), and one for a Halls Coulee Siphon replacement ($16.73 million)
Other projects were simply considered ineligible, including the following local project:
- A City of Glasgow Swimming Pool project requesting $2.06 million (clean water)
Grant applicants which are not receiving funding may reapply for the second round of funding. The timing and details of the second round has not been announced.
Applications for an additional $150 million in ARPA grant funding for water and sewer projects are being accepted on an ongoing basis through the end of 2022.
