Memphis plans wastewater, drinking water improvements
The T.E. Maxson Wastewater Treatment Facility handles wastewater from the southern part of the city of Memphis before it is discharged into the Mississippi River. (Houston Cofield/Daily Memphian file)
City officials shared new details Tuesday, July 11, on how Memphis will spend $102 million to improve its water infrastructure.
The City of Memphis received about half of the state’s American Rescue Plan funds for drinking water, wastewater and stormwater infrastructure projects in March of this year. The state allocated $1.3 billion — about a third of its American Rescue Plan funds — to support water projects, and the state announced $203 million in grants statewide.
“We were advocating hard for this,” Public Works Director Robert Knecht told the Memphis City Council on Tuesday.
Knecht said the money will fund the following:
- Nine wastewater projects: $58 million
- Eight drinking water projects: $39 million
- A groundwater study: Nearly $5 million
The $102 million grant will fund improvements to Memphis’ water treatment plants, according to the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation. Some of the funding will also go to CAESER at the University of Memphis, for its ongoing groundwater study, and Memphis Light, Gas and Water for a lead service line replacement program for private property owners.
In mid-June, the state announced another round of American Rescue Plan funds, including grants for Arlington, Collierville and Bartlett.
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Memphis Public Works Division Robert Knecht City Council water infrastructureKeely Brewer
Keely Brewer is a Report for America corps member covering environmental impacts on communities of color in Memphis. She is working in partnership with the Ag & Water Desk, a sustainable reporting network aimed at telling water and agriculture stories across the Mississippi River Basin.
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