By Trish Svoboda

Today, Governor Laura Kelly in collaboration with the Kansas Water Office announced an investment of $18 million in 34 water-related municipalities and special districts across Kansas. The allocation includes the awarding of 19 Technical Assistance Grants and 15 Water Project Grants.

The 2023 Senate Substitute for House Bill 2302, which was signed into law by Governor Kelly in April 2023, facilitated the grants. This bipartisan legislation marked a record investment of $35 million in the State Water Plan, including an additional $18 million to the annual $8 million allocation for the plan and $17 million towards two grant funds. To accommodate the surge in requests, the Kansas Legislature further boosted the program with an extra $1 million this year.

The initial funding round, launched on November 1, 2023, received over 122 applications for Technical Assistance and 187 for Water Projects. The review process gave priority to applicants with urgent water concerns, those influenced by socioeconomic and community aspects, those with conservation plans, and those hailing from communities with less than 2,000 residents.

Recipients of this year’s funding include:

Technical Assistance Grant Recipients:

· Bern: $30,250

· Deerfield: $464,000

· Dexter: $159,500

· Effingham: $300,000

· Fowler: $70,000

· Harveyville: $75,650

· Keats: $359,100

· Mankato: $461,548

· McDonald: $150,000

· McPherson County Rural Water District #3: $98,700

· Milford: $388,000

· Ogden: $404,710

· Osborne County Rural Water District #1a: $8,300

· Paxico: $618,240

· Protection: $78,000

· Randolph: $650,000

· Republic: $202,400

· Tescott: $407,500

· Waterville: $53,092

Water Project Grant Recipients:

· Atwood: $2,305,000

· Burden: $823,055

· Burr Oak: $1,028,749

· Chetopa: $3,704,506

· Logan: $500,000

· Paul: $505,000

· Timken: $385,035

· Wakefield: $2,521,440

· Williamsburg: $84,292

Water Project Loan Assistance Grant Recipients:

· Downs: $336,303

· Moran: $141,275

· Miltonvale: $352,500

· Ness City: $130,918

· Osborne: $92,390

· Wilson: $88,552