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Federal Funding Assistance - Water, Wastewater, and Stormwater

There has never been more money available to help you turn a water, wastewater or stormwater project idea into a reality.

Water, wastewater, and stormwater are among the most complex and complicated project types a town can undertake.  They require a team of experts to help a community move an idea to action.  Many smaller towns back away from these projects (mainly water and sewer) for these reasons – they are challenging, hard for a small town with limited capacity to take on and very expensive.  However, lack of this infrastructure is what is holding many small communities back from creating more housing that is affordable (rental or homeownership), inviting more businesses in, or even having a seated café in a small village center. 

Many local officials ask: why would we want to make such a large investment that only benefits a small part of the town?  The answer: to protect and grow your grand list and provide strength, vibrancy and sustainability to your community.  Why protect and grow your grand list?  Loss to the grand list means higher taxes for all taxpayers.  Growth to the grand list means lower taxes for all taxpayers. 

Lots of towns shy away from these projects because of the financing complexity – it will likely include multiple sources of federal dollars as well as some level of debt. Any town, but especially the smaller ones, want to avoid a bond vote at all costs. The fear of debt can overshadow the fact that a well-designed system can pay for itself through fees generated by the system’s users and the increase in grand list value from added taxpayers.  Existing residents who connect to the new system will see an automatic increase in their home’s value and it will make it easier for them to sell, when the time comes.  Conversely, it will be easier for buyers to get financing since the risk is lower for the bank. Just ask a realtor! There are multiple layers of benefit to the town and its residents - growing your tax base is a win-win.  

What is the best part about undertaking a municipal water and wastewater at this moment?

There has never been more money available to help you and interest rates are only going to increase so….make the choice to explore the idea NOW while it lasts!

Find funding opportunities for Drinking Water projects HERE.

Need one-on-one help? 

Grab 15 minutes with us for a "Consults on Call"* appointment!  Whether your project is just in the idea phase, has started to gain momentum, has stalled completely or you just need help prioritizing projects before you get started, let us help you.   

Our "Consults on Call" hours are Wednesdays, 1:00-2:00 pm and 7:00-8:00 pm.  Simply click the "Book An Appointment" button, select the date and time that works best for you and complete the details.  If you think you need more than 15 minutes, please email FFA@vlct.org to schedule a longer time slot.

*"Consults on Call" services are only available to VLCT's members and associate members.  If you do not have an official role with a VLCT member organization (selectboard, city council, trustee, Town Manager or Administrator, town clerk, treasurer, planning commissioner, etc.) we will not be able to work with you - not because we don't want to but we have a small team and simply need to put our members first!

Book an Appointment