Wisconsin invests $414.4M in water infrastructure upgrades

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Gov. Tony Evers and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources on Wednesday announced that 84 villages and cities will receive $414.4 million for wastewater and stormwater infrastructure improvements. The federally supported Clean Water Fund program will help more than 100 projects across the state through 2024.

“Helping communities replace and modernize aging systems to ensure they meet federal and state regulations is a critical part of our work to ensure every Wisconsinite has healthy, safe, and clean drinking water from their tap,” Evers said in a statement.

The funding will aid construction of water infrastructure, including projects that reduce phosphorus discharges and replace aging equipment, the governor’s office said. The state focused on small and disadvantaged communities it made the allocation.

This is the second year the state has used wastewater funding through the bipartisan infrastructure law.

According to DNR, the 2021 law will provide over $900 million in additional funding through 2026 through the agency’s environmental loans program.

Here are some highlighted projects.

• Soldiers Grove will receive $386,000 for a project to reduce phosphorus from the village wastewater treatment plant
• The village of Denmark will receive $5 million to build a tertiary treatment process to cut down phosphorus from the local wastewater treatment plant.
• The city of Superior will receive $3.76 million to reduce the excessive wastewater flow during wet weather and reduce flooding.

In 1991, the DNR and Wisconsin Department of Administration started the Clean Water Fund Program, officials said. Since then, the program has provided over $5.5 billion to municipalities for wastewater and stormwater projects that protect public health and water quality for residents.