U.S. Representative Michelle Fischbach said on May 2 that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced $690,000 in funding through the Sewer Overflow and Stormwater Reuse Municipal Grant to help communities address stormwater and sewer infrastructure needs in Minnesota.
The announcement comes as Minnesota faces significant wastewater infrastructure requirements identified by state authorities. According to a report from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, Minnesota communities identified a need for 468 wastewater infrastructure projects at a cost of $2.66 billion. These projects are necessary to rehabilitate, expand, and improve wastewater sewer systems and treatment facilities to meet current water quality standards and to extend sewer systems to newly developed or existing areas with wastewater improvement needs. The reported need reflects ongoing requirements for sewer rehabilitation and stormwater management across the state. This grant funding supports local efforts to address such infrastructure priorities according to the agency.
Fischbach issued the statement in a post on X to update constituents on the availability of federal grant funding for the state. The post referenced the Sewer Overflow and Stormwater Reuse Municipal Grant program and included a link for further details as reported by the agency. The representative serves Minnesota’s Seventh Congressional District which encompasses large rural areas of western Minnesota. Such federal programs provide targeted support for local water quality projects in districts with significant infrastructure demands as reported by her office.
“Funds can be used for planning, designing, and construction of combined sewer overflows, sanitary sewer overflows, and stormwater management projects,” Fischbach said.
The Sewer Overflow and Stormwater Reuse Municipal Grant program has been appropriated over $282 million in total. States may apply up to four percent of their allotment toward administrative expenses. The allotment formula is based on data from the latest Clean Watersheds Needs Survey along with supplemental information on population, urban population, and precipitation. The program assists states in providing grants to communities for managing combined sewer overflows, sanitary sewer overflows, and stormwater flows according to EPA.
Fischbach previously served in the Minnesota Senate from 1996 to 2018 and became the first woman to serve as President of the Minnesota Senate in 2011. She also served as the 49th Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota. Elected to Congress in 2020, Fischbach represents Minnesota’s 7th Congressional District which covers much of rural western Minnesota. She holds a J.D. from William Mitchell College of Law and a B.A. in Political Science from St. Cloud State University according to her official biography.
