40 SEPTEMBER 2024 WorldWide Drilling Resource® www.starironworks.com 257 Caroline Street Punxsutawney, PA 15767 800-927-0560 • 814-427-2555 Fax: 814-427-5164 SERVING THE WATER WELL INDUSTRY Serving the Drilling Industry Grants to Improve Stormwater and Sewer Infrastructures Adapted from Information by the EPA To help communities address stormwater and sewer infrastructure needs, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the availability of nearly $41 million in funding through the Sewer Overflow and Stormwater Reuse Municipal Grant (OSG) Program. Safely managing stormwater is critical in preventing contaminants, including untreated sewage, from polluting waterways. Funds can be used for the planning, designing, and construction of combined sewer overflows (CSO), sanitary sewer overflows (SSO), and stormwater management projects. These grants are available to states to support projects in cities and towns that will strengthen their stormwater collection systems to be more resilient against increasingly intense rain events. “Our nation’s waterways are vital to healthy communities. They provide sources of drinking water, support farming, power economic opportunity, and give us opportunities to swim and to fish. Keeping our waterways clean and safe is essential, and stormwater runoff is one of the biggest pollution challenges facing our water ecosystems,” said EPA Acting Assistant Administrator for Water Bruno Pigott. Stormwater can be a significant source of water pollution and a public health concern, as it can collect various pollutants including trash, chemicals, oils, and dirt/sediment and convey them to nearby waterways. When mixed with domestic and industrial wastewater in combined sewers, stormwater can also contribute to combined sewer overflows during heavy storm events, so managing runoff remains a complex environmental challenge for local communities across the country. Many communities facing financial challenges will be able to use this new grant program to provide funding for critical stormwater infrastructure projects, including CSO and SSO. EPA is working with local and state partners to leverage the resources of the federal government to meet the needs of these communities. To encourage investment in these critical projects, EPA modified the OSG program so state grantees are not required to contribute cost share money for OSG projects located in small or financially distressed communities. However, grant portions going to communities other than small or financially distressed communities will include a cost share requirement. WTR
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