Idaho awarded nearly $31 million in construction grants to six drinking and wastewater systems, according to the state Department of Environmental Quality.

Gov. Brad Little and the legislature in 2023 made $115 million available for water and wastewater infrastructure projects through the state revolving loan fund. The program, through grants and low-interest loans, aims to enable communities to fund projects at a lower average cost compared to municipal general obligation debt.

“Water is our most valuable resource, and we absolutely must keep up the infrastructure to ensure water is clean and plentiful for this generation and future ones,” the governor said in a department news release. “That is why we made historic investments in water quality and quantity.”

Property taxes are determined locally, but state-level investment in water and other infrastructure needs can help relieve the burden on local government and on property owners, he said.

Kootenai-Ponderay Sewer District in Bonner County, received more than $13.77 million to design and build a mechanical wastewater treatment facility, expand the land-application reuse site and make surface water discharge improvements.

City of Troy, was alloted more than $6.34 million for wastewater system improvements including conducting closed-caption TV inspection, replacing and repairing manholes and piping, installing headworks, improving the disinfection system and developing a land application system.

Terrace Lakes Water Co. in Boise County received more than $3.77 million to drill a new well, replace a reservoir, build a booster pump station, replace mains and map the current system.

City of Bellevue collected from the state more than $3.3 million to build a new spring collection system, rebuild a transmission main, build and replace a water main, identify and repair leaks in the system and complete other improvements.

City of Plummer received $3 million to develop a storage lagoon and land application system at the wastewater treatment plant.

Big Twelve Water Association in Fremont County was granted $800,000 to address water supply and distribution efficiencies.