CU chosen for $9M in FEMA funding

Last edited 1:46 p.m., Aug. 29, 2023 [Editor's note: More information about the funding process has been added.]

City Utilities of Springfield has been selected for $9.4 million in federal funding designed to shore up water treatment plant safety.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency funding is earmarked for CU to engage in a mitigation program for building resilient infrastructure and communities, aka BRIC, according to a news release.

The funding will go toward adding backup natural gas-powered generators to protect the ongoing water supply at the Blackman Water Treatment Plant in the event of a power outage due to natural disaster or cyberattacks. The plant operates in east Springfield, fronting U.S. Highway 65.

CU was selected through a competitive process, according to the release. A second review is scheduled to be conducted to determine whether environmental considerations and program requirements have been met before the funding is released.