Barnstable Gets Loan Forgiveness For Water Projects

BARNSTABLE, MA — More than $107.3 million in grants were awarded for 43 municipal water projects in 35 communities across the Commonwealth.

That includes in Barnstable, where two projects were approved.

The grant funds are awarded to cities, towns, counties, and water utilities to help pay for improvements to drinking water and wastewater infrastructure.

“These grants will support vital water infrastructure projects throughout the state,” said State Treasurer Deborah B. Goldberg.

“This investment furthers our commitment to ensuring the health and safety of all Massachusetts residents by providing access to clean drinking water in even more communities this coming year.”

“Many communities across the Commonwealth are implementing important water infrastructure projects in a cost-effective manner thanks to a significant infusion of funding through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA),” added MassDEP Commissioner Martin Suuberg.

The grant amounts are to be provided as loan forgiveness and are awarded by project category to provide much-needed financial assistance towards high-priority projects.

Among the projects receiving grant money are those dealing with PFAS remediation, small drinking water systems and wastewater projects.

Additionally, communities that qualify as “Disadvantaged Communities”, determined by an affordability metric that ranks each community in the Commonwealth, will receive additional loan forgiveness funds to ensure that subsidy is given to the communities that need it most.

Here's what projects were approved in Barnstable:

Wastewater Pump Station Improvements Project

According to a description provided by the state, "the purpose of this project is to upgrade three of the Town of Barnstable’s existing wastewater pumping stations to be more resilient, dependable, energy efficient, and cost-efficient. The three proposed projects are consistent with the long-term rehabilitation plan prepared in 2019 for the Town's 27 existing pump stations."

The loan forgiveness total is $298,212.

Route 28 East Sewer Expansion Project

The Town of Barnstable’s project includes construction of approximately 11,000 linear feet of gravity sewer and a new pump station. Once operational, the new infrastructure will handle approximately 1.5 million gallons per day (MGD) of average daily flow. This project is the critical element toward building an extensive wastewater collection system that will eventually serve more than 7,000 properties during the town’s thirty-year phased Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan," according to a description.

The loan forgiveness total is $2,152,027.