In the latest announcement ahead of the General Assembly’s special session next week, Governor Ralph Northam announced Tuesday that his latest plan is to allocate $411.5 million in federal American Rescue Plan (ARP) funding to reduce water pollution and increase access to clean water across the Commonwealth. Virginia legislators are tasked with allocating $4.3 billion in federal COVID-relief money.
According to the announcement from the governor’s office, this proposal will make substantial investments in aging water systems and improve drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater infrastructure.
“With this funding, we have a tremendous opportunity to rebuild our aging water systems and ensure every Virginia family has reliable access to safe, clean drinking water,” said Governor Northam. “In addition to modernizing water and sewer infrastructure across the Commonwealth, these investments will go a long way towards restoring the health of our waterways and reducing pollution in our communities.”
The governor’s announcement says the proposal includes $186.5 million for wastewater treatment and nutrient removal, $125 million for combined sewer overflow projects in Richmond, Alexandria, and Lynchburg, and $100 million to assist water systems in small and disadvantaged communities.
These proposed investments would supplement more than $300 million in ARP funding that the Commonwealth sent to towns in June and $2.3 billion made available to Virginia’s 133 counties and cities directly from the federal government to meet local response and recovery needs, which include improving access to clean drinking water and to supporting vital wastewater and stormwater infrastructure.
Governor Northam was in Hopewell Monday to make the first announcement for “Investment Week.” He announced that the Commonwealth will allocate $250 million in federal American Rescue Plan (ARP) funding for necessary ventilation upgrades, which will be matched 1:1 by local ARP or other relief funding.
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