Department of Natural Resources awards $4.6 million to Paris to improve drinking water system

PARIS, Mo. — The Missouri Department of Natural Resources has awarded $4.6 million in financial assistance to the city of Paris for upgrades to the city’s water distribution system. The funding is expected to cover the project’s entire cost and the improvements are anticipated to be completed by October 2025.

The improvement project will allow the city to continue offering its citizens safe drinking water for years to come with a modern and well-functioning drinking water system.

Project funding consists of a $2.1 million grant and a $2.5 million loan, both from the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund. The assistance provided by the department is estimated to save the city’s ratepayers $2.1 million in principal and approximately $827,000 in interest over the 20-year term of the loan.

“If Missouri communities are to grow and thrive, they must have reliable, up-to-date infrastructure, like the systems that treat drinking water and wastewater,” Missouri Governor Mike Parson said in a press release. “Maintenance and updates to these systems can be very expensive, but we are committed to being good partners with our local communities to help ensure they succeed.”

“Through this Drinking Water State Revolving Fund grant, we can help qualified cities like Paris identify the changes needed to maintain and improve their drinking water systems,” said Dru Buntin, director of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources. “Projects like this help protect public and environmental health and help improve the quality of life for Missourians.”

The department’s Drinking Water State Revolving Fund finances improvements to water treatment plants, distribution systems, water storage and supply facilities, along with interconnection or consolidation projects. Communities that borrow from the fund benefit from the below-market interest rate and from assistance provided throughout their project from a project manager.

Through its Financial Assistance Center, the department is committed to working with communities to assist with water and wastewater infrastructure improvement projects. This project will be funded wholly or in part with monies received from the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency.

For more information on wastewater and drinking water funding opportunities, visit dnr.mo.gov/water/what-were-doing/state-revolving-fund-srf.