Stimulus Will Fund Water Improvements

The Environmental Protection Agency is sending stimulus funds to Mississippi to improve water lines. MPB’s Cari Gervin has more.

When you ask Keith Allen about the worst water supplies in the state, he says cities like Jackson and rural areas in the Delta are in bad shape.

“You’re talking about anywhere from 30 to 50-year-old ole pipe, a lot of it’s PVC, and some of it has deteriorated. And the leakage, is really what causes the problem, because those leaks, when you lose pressure, become sources of contamination.”

Allen is the director of water supply for the Mississippi Department of Health. So he is happy to have an extra 19 and half million dollars in stimulus funds to help repair the state’s aging water infrastructure. But he’s still worried about money.

“For the $36 million we have this year, we have over $200 million in loan requests.”

Some municipalities and water districts are able to raise rates to make needed infrastructure repairs. But for communities with poor residents, raising rates is hard.

Walter Williams is the head of the Water Department in Belzoni. The city has a project likely to be at least partially paid for with the new funds. Williams says if his department does get the money, it will go a long way.

“It would improve things tremendously. We have rotten lines in some areas that once they are repaired, it’s going to actually eliminate many of the complaints of the citizens.”

Keith Allen said the funds will help to fund an additional six to eight projects across the state this fiscal year. For MPB News, I’m Cari Gervin.