DNR awards dollars to Burlington Jct, Barnard for wastewater system improvements

The Missouri Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has awarded $1.3 million in financial assistance to the city of Burlington Jct. for upgrades to its wastewater treatment system.

The funding will cover the project’s total cost, which is expected to be completed by October 2025.

DNR also presented a $50,000 Clean Water Engineering Report Grant to the city of Barnard to evaluate the city’s wastewater system.

This grant offers funding to qualified communities to help cover engineering costs of evaluating potential wastewater system improvements. Barnard will use its funding to identify improvements needed to continue reliable service to the area, meet permit requirements and reduce inflow and infiltration of stormwater into sewer collection pipes. The facility plan should be complete in April 2026.

The BJ project includes installation of a chlorine disinfection system and improvements to the storage and transfer structures. These upgrades will allow the city to achieve compliance with wastewater standards and extend the system’s life and efficiency so it can continue serving the city well into the future.

Its project funding consists of a $615,000 loan and a $689,939 grant through the Clean Water State Revolving Fund. The assistance provided by the department will save the Burlington Jct. ratepayers an estimated $689,939 in principal and approximately $213,000 in interest over the loan’s 20-year term.

“An important part of our job is making sure Missouri communities can plan and fund infrastructure improvements, and that includes upgrades to that drinking water and wastewater treatment systems that are crucial to every community’s health and vitality,” said Missouri Governor Mike Parson.

“Grants and low-interest loans through the State Revolving Fund help qualified communities with water and wastewater treatment system improvements that they might not have been able to undertake otherwise,” said Dru Buntin, director of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.

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

Through its Financial Assistance Center, the department is committed to assisting qualified Missouri communities with water and wastewater infrastructure improvement projects. These projects will be funded wholly or in part with monies received from the US Environmental Protection Agency.