Press Release  Treasurer Goldberg Announces Over $66.8 Million in ARPA Grants for 52 Municipal Water Projects

Boston — State Treasurer Deborah Goldberg, Chair of the Massachusetts Clean Water Trust (the Trust), announced that $66.8 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds are being provided as grants to 52 projects in communities across the Commonwealth. The grants are one portion of a $661.7 million subsidy providing water infrastructure projects. Most projects will take place in disadvantaged communities rendering over $535 million of project costs eligible for additional loan forgiveness.

“The grants we are receiving from the federal ARPA legislation 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 year.”

In December 2021, the Baker-Polito Administration and the Massachusetts Legislature approved $100 million in ARPA funding to the Trust as grants for water infrastructure projects.

“The Baker-Polito Administration is pleased to partner with the Massachusetts Clean Water Trust to ensure that the financial investments being made by the federal government and the Commonwealth result in cost-effective projects that improve water quality, public health and the environment in communities across Massachusetts,” said Commissioner Martin Suuberg of the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP).

The Trust’s Board of Trustees approved the following grant percentages totaling $66.8 million:

“These initiatives will help improve water resources across the state, with a focus on communities most in need, to ensure residents continue to have access to safe drinking water,” said Secretary of Administration and Finance Michael J. Heffernan, who is also a member of the Clean Water Trust's Board of Trustees. “The Baker-Polito Administration is pleased to see the many important water infrastructure projects financed by these grants that will soon be underway.”

The ARPA funds are expected to be spent quickly with funded projects moving towards construction in the spring or summer of 2022. The remaining ARPA funds will be spent similarly for projects targeting construction in 2023. The Trust will report online monthly via The Massachusetts Clean Water Trust | Mass.gov as the funds are disbursed.

Chaired by Treasurer and Receiver General Deborah B. Goldberg, the Massachusetts Clean Water Trust is a state agency that improves water quality throughout the Commonwealth by providing low-interest loans to municipalities and other eligible entities. Communities receiving these grants experience a total reduction in project costs which frees up capital for other local needs. The loans pay for water projects such as upgrades to water treatment facilities, stormwater and nutrient mitigation, and sewer improvement projects. Since its establishment in 1989, the Trust has partnered with MassDEP to help develop and finance approximately $8.1 billion of water infrastructure projects serving an estimate 97% of the Commonwealth's population.

###