Iowa lawmakers approved a $319 million, 12-year funding plan for water quality just days before the end of the legislative session last month.

Plan Details

The plan includes $18 million in new funding, with $8 million allocated for one-year funding through the Rebuild Iowa Infrastructure Fund, which helps municipalities upgrade wastewater and drinking water facilities. Another new appropriation is the Rural Iowa Infrastructure Bank Revolving Loan Program, which provides $10 million for loans to small or mid-sized communities to update water infrastructure.

The Iowa Environmental Council criticized the proposal for lacking transparency and substance. “This was a really last-minute response to public outcry, but there was really no substance to this proposal. People in Iowa expect transparency and respect the depth of expertise we have here,” said Kerri Johannsen of the Iowa Environmental Council.

House File 2771, the agriculture and natural resources budget bill, was approved during a marathon last-day session for lawmakers. During an announcement on May 1, Gov. Kim Reynolds and Agriculture Secretary Mike Naig said funding would be redirected to programs having the most impact.

Original reporting: KCCI Des Moines — read the source article.