Water Sector News
A snapshot of clean water stories from publications around the country, updated daily!
New federal investments alone won't fix aging sewer systems
Four of the state’s larger cities – Jackson, Hattiesburg, Meridian and Greenville – are all under federal consent decrees to stop pollution from their worn down sewer and wastewater systems.
Even though they’ve already spent tens of millions of dollars combined on those facilities in recent years, and even with historic federal infrastructure funding on the horizon, it’s likely those cities will still need more money to comply with orders from the Environmental Protection Agency.
While a battle between the House and Senate over eliminating the income tax has held up progress, lawmakers this week are deliberating how much to spend of its allotted $1.8 billion from the American Rescue Plan Act on infrastructure repairs.
“In communities with populations that dwindled, access to resources becomes most vital,” said Rep. John Hines, D-Greenville.