PIERRE, S.D. – The South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources (DANR) has announced the approval of nearly $35 million in grants and low-interest loans for statewide environmental projects. The state confirms not a single orginization applied for the grant in Rapid City or Western South Dakota. The deadline was July 1st.
The DANR’s Board of Water and Natural Resources approved $34,770,600 in financial assistance for drinking water, wastewater, and solid waste projects across South Dakota. The total funding package includes $34,361,000 in low-interest loans and $409,600 in grants, drawn from the Clean Water State Revolving Fund Program and the Solid Waste Management Program.
The largest allocation was directed to Sioux Falls, which received a $32,761,000 Clean Water State Revolving Fund loan at a 3.5% interest rate for 20 years. This funding will support the continued expansion of the city’s Water Reclamation Facility, focusing on replacing gravity thickener equipment, constructing a biosolids dewatering and storage facility, and improving the chemical feed building.
Other recipients included Roberts County, which was awarded a $400,000 Solid Waste Management Program grant and a $1,600,000 Clean Water State Revolving Fund loan. The loan, set at 3.75% for 30 years, is designated to expand the county’s existing landfill, which has reached the limit of its available space.
The South Dakota Solid Waste Management Association received a $9,600 Solid Waste Management Program grant. This money will assist in hosting Statewide Restricted Use and Rubble Site Operation Trainings aimed at improving regulatory compliance for existing facilities throughout the state.
The Solid Waste Management Program provides funding for solid waste disposal, recycling, and waste tire projects, with its funds appropriated annually by the Legislature through the Omnibus Water Funding Bill. The Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Fund Programs, supported by the state and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, offer low-interest loans for critical wastewater, stormwater, and public drinking water system improvements.