Federal funding now available to help improve water quality in Mississippi communities

JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) -Tens of millions in federal funds will quickly move into the magnolia state that’s earmarked for water. Nevertheless, it can prolong past the capital metropolis.

Greater than $20 million in federal funds will quickly be obtainable in Mississippi within the type of grants to assist enhance water high quality, and we’re not simply speaking about Jackson. Congressman Bennie Thompson says it’s not almost sufficient cash, but it surely’s a begin.

“Plenty of communities don’t meet the usual,” famous Thompson. “So, what we try to do is incentivize communities to start to get their ingesting water to fulfill these requirements.”

The EPA says the grant cash is meant to deal with contaminants in ingesting water, particularly in small rural communities. Fayette’s Mayor is hoping to profit from the cash.

“We do have bother with ensuring that we now have clear, protected ingesting water,” defined Fayette Mayor Londell Eanochs.”I need to say thanks to the State of Mississippi and our legislators for truly offering us a few CDBG grants (Group Improvement Block Grants) to have the ability to assist us with these contaminants, however the funding will not be sufficient. We nonetheless want extra funding to have the ability to handle these issues.”

It’s a problem the EPA administrator mentioned on certainly one of his visits to the state final yr.

“So that each individual on this nation can entry protected, reasonably priced, clear ingesting water,” famous EPA Administrator Michael Regan.

This cash is separate from the tens of millions you’ve heard mentioned for Jackson’s water infrastructure. There are questions on what that governance construction will appear like when the court-appointed administrator has left. On that subject, Thompson says he’s pleased to see the progress however:

“I’m not pleased that the Mississippi State Legislature, in its infinite knowledge, is making an attempt to take it the way you gonna take it, and also you didn’t put any cash in it,” added Thompson. “And so we didn’t must put the $600 million into the system if the state of Mississippi had finished what it ought to have been doing all alongside.”

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