Department of Natural Resources awards $1.3 million to New Florence…

City will make wastewater collection system improvements

JEFFERSON CITY, MO, OCT. 27, 2025 - The Missouri Department of Natural Resources has awarded $1.3 million to the city of New Florence for upgrades to its wastewater collection system. The funding will cover the entire cost of the project, which the city estimates to complete by September 2028.

The city will use the funding to rehabilitate the aging wastewater collection system in an effort to reduce water infiltration into the system. The project is expected to reduce sanitary sewer overflows and will extend the system's life and efficiency so that it can continue serving the city well into the future.

Funding for the project consists of a $567,000 low-interest loan and a $755,865 grant through the department's Clean Water State Revolving Fund. The department estimates its funding will save the city's ratepayers $755,865 in principal and approximately $290,000 in interest over the loan's 20-year term.

"Reliable water and wastewater infrastructure is essential for the sustainability of our communities and industries, as well as the quality of life for all Missourians," said Kurt Schaefer, director of the Department of Natural Resources.

The department's Clean Water State Revolving Fund finances improvements to wastewater treatment facilities, sewer collection system rehabilitation and extensions, and combined sewer overflow corrections. The fund also finances security, efficiency and conservation measures. Communities that borrow from the fund benefit from the below-market interest rate and from a department project manager's assistance throughout the project.

The department is committed to assisting Missouri communities with water and wastewater infrastructure improvement projects. Through its Financial Assistance Center, the department provides funding opportunities for qualified communities with water quality, wastewater and drinking water infrastructure needs. This project will be funded wholly or in part with monies received from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

For more information on wastewater and drinking water funding opportunities, visit dnr.mo.gov/water/what-were-doing/state-revolving-fund-srf.