Mississippi County taking applications for water and sewer projects

Mississippi County has launched its 2024 infrastructure grant program, which will award a total of $750,000 to cities and towns within the county to fund water and sewer infrastructure improvements and projects. Applications can be submitted on the county’s website and the deadline to apply is March 1.

“We are pleased to once again have the opportunity to provide the funding to help our cities and towns make much-needed infrastructure improvements to their water and sewer systems,” said Mississippi County Judge John Alan Nelson. “We are eager to see the applications and to identify projects that will improve the quality of life of Mississippi County residents, support our local economy and help continue our current population growth.”

The grants are funded through the American Rescue Plan Act’s Coronavirus Local Fiscal Relief Fund (CLFRF), which was signed into law in 2021 and provides each U.S. county with funding to support investments that promote long-term growth and opportunity.

The Mississippi County Water and Sewer Infrastructure Grant Program will fund water and sewer infrastructure projects designed to address the infrastructure needs of the county. Each grant will provide up to $125,000 to cities within Mississippi County and can only be used for infrastructure projects pursuant to the Arkansas Constitution, Article 12, Section 5 as incorporated into Article 12 by Amendment 97.

The grants will fund up to 75% of project costs, with the remaining 25% being matched by the applicants. Cities and towns that have received funding from previous grant cycles are still eligible to apply. However, the total grant funding received by any one applicant must not exceed $400,000.

This is the second year Mississippi County has awarded infrastructure grants to its cities and towns. In 2023, the county awarded $2.2 million to fund 11 projects, including:

Blytheville – $200,000 to improve critical sewer infrastructure;
Dell – $200,000 to partially fund the municipal water system storage tank rehabilitation;
Etowah – $200,000 to fund Etowah’s wastewater system improvements project;
Etowah – $41,250 to support the wastewater treatment facility standby generator replacement project;
Gosnell – $200,000 to fund various road and street projects;
Keiser – $200,000 to partially fund the rehabilitation of Keiser’s elevated water storage tank exterior and improvements at the water treatment facility;
Keiser – $200,000 to support Keiser’s Highway 181 lift station rehabilitation project;
Leachville – $200,000 to allow the acquisition of approximately 34 acres of land to expand the Leachville Wastewater Plant;
Manila – $200,000 to partially fund Manila’s water tower refurbish/repair project;
Manila – $158,750 to support Manila’s Fire Department expansion project;
Osceola – $200,000 to partially fund the survey, testing and repair of key parts of Osceola’s storm drainage system.