The federal government is providing some much needed support to water and wastewater projects across the state of Arizona.

On Thursday, the Environmental Protection Agency announced Arizona would receive $82 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds for water projects to help boost the economy, create jobs and protect and promote public health.

Slated to come from the Clean Water State Revolving Fund program is $26.4 million for low-interest loans for water quality protection projects for wastewater treatment non-point source pollution control, and watershed and estuary management.

The Drinking Water State Revolving Fund program is slated to receive $55.3 million, which would also come by low-interest loans for drinking water systems to finance infrastructure improvements.

The amount Lake Havasu City would receive has already been determined, Mayor Mark Nexsen stated. The city is due to receive $2 million from the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund, which could be used for street repair related to the sewer project.

Funding comes by way of low-interest loans, something Water Resource Coordinator Doyle Wilson says he is not sure the city could take advantage of, because of its present Water Infrastructure and Finance Authority loans for the sewer project.

“With loans, we are all loaned out,” Wilson stated.

The city has primarily been seeking grants for finalizing its sewer project. At an April 24 meeting with various government agencies in Boulder City, Nev., Nexsen told those in attendance the Colorado River Regional Sewer Coalition grant funding and legislation are what is needed to move forward.

Wilson will start the process for a new grant from the Arizona Department of Water Resources. He has yet to determine the amount of the request but it would be a Challenge grant or Water Marketing and Efficiency grant.

“I’m almost to the point where I can start digging into this,” Wilson said.

The grant application must be submitted by May 22. Wilson said he hopes the grant would help with research to use the city’s effluent water.

The city currently has injected about 60 million gallons of effluent water into the ground.

“There is a lot to do in a short amount of time,” Wilson said.

Wilson has already submitted two grant proposals, including a Water Quality Improvement grant from the EPA, which would total $300,000 and would be used to help with septic tank decommissioning.

The second grant would help the city prevent excessive water runoff into the lake in the Pima Wash area at Rotary Beach Park. Wilson said this would help prevent any small amounts of ecoli bacteria.

The EPA is expected to make a decision on both grant applications by June 1.

The EPA has awarded Arizona an additional $267,400 in stimulus funds for Water Quality Management Planning. This money would be used, in part, for monitoring the quality of the water, protecting healthy waters and developing plans to restore polluted waters.

Nexsen also said this money had nothing to do with the Boulder City meeting hosted by the EPA April 24. The meeting was held to discuss legislation and grant funding for the Colorado River.

You may contact this reporter at twaggoner@havasunews.com.