Tuesday, Mar 8 2011 10:22AM
Montana's Brady county is unable to renovate a 20-year old water plant due to state budget constraints.
Rural Montana communities in need of updated water system services may be out of luck, with state officials saying that tight budgets don't leave any funding available for water projects, reported the Great Falls Tribune.
Mike Townsend, a member of the Brady County Water Board, was just one of many city officials, water board members and engineers who attended the recent Montana Rural Water Systems Conference in Great Falls. According to the newspaper, Brady— an outlying town with a population of less than 500— is in desperate need of money to repair a severely outdated water treatment plant. However, because the town is still paying for its 20-year-old plant, Townsend told the paper it must rely on state and federal grants to fund a renovation.
"We'll just have to do the best we can with what we've got," he said
At the conference, community representatives had the opportunity to appeal for additional funding from Montana's congressional delegation. Furthermore, two petitions, including one for increased federal funding, were passed around the event.
Montana communities with 10,000 residents or less can qualify for water project loans from the state branch of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Development office.