Moyie Springs receives $2.1M grant from DEQ

MOYIE SPRINGS — The city of Moyie Springs received a $2.1 million grant from the Idaho Department of Environmental Equality to supplement material and labor cost overruns associated with an existing project.

Currently, Moyie Springs is upgrading the treatment system and building a discharge line to the Kootenai River. The grant is to be used for this project.

The Idaho Department of Environmental Quality on Dec. 1 announced the award of $59,187,419 in construction grants to 11 drinking water and wastewater systems across Idaho as part of Gov. Brad Little’s Leading Idaho initiative.

Moyie Springs is just one of the many water and wastewater systems to receive this funding.

“Water is our most valuable resource, and we absolutely must keep up the infrastructure to ensure water is clean and plentiful for this generation and future ones,” Little said. “That is why we made historic investments in water quality and quantity this year as part of my ‘Leading Idaho’ plan. These investments also could keep your property taxes low. Property taxes are determined locally but the investments we made in water and other infrastructure needs at the state level help relieve the burden on local government to cover costs of projects, improving the chances property owners won’t be burdened with the costs.”

In 2022, the state of Idaho approved plans to roll out $300 million in water and wastewater infrastructure project funding, benefiting communities across Idaho through DEQ’s State Revolving Loan Fund program, DEQ officials wrote. This program provides low-interest loans and grants to qualified recipients to improve their drinking water and wastewater facilities.

DEQ officials estimated this grant will provide $99,443,531 in savings to these communities compared to average costs for municipal general obligation debt issuances.

List of grant recipients include:

Bennington Water System, Inc., Bear County; city of Lewiston; city of Craigmont; Remington Recreational Water and Sewer District, Kootenai County; city of Rigby; city of New Meadows; city of Juliaetta; city of Challis; city of Genesee; city of Kooskia.