The Missouri Department of Natural Resources has awarded $2.9 million to the city of La Monte for upgrades to its northwest and southeast wastewater treatment facilities. The funding will cover the entire cost of the project, which the city expects to complete by November 2026.

The project is expected to allow the city to meet permit limits and will extend the wastewater system’s life and efficiency so that it can continue serving the city well into the future.

Project funding consists of a $1.19 million low-interest loan and a $1.78 million grant through the department’s Clean Water State Revolving Fund. The department estimates its funding will save the city’s ratepayers nearly $1.8 million in principal and approximately $530,000 in interest over the loan’s 20-year term.

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.