JANS – Delta Regional Authority (DRA) is awarding over $31 million in investments to 34 projects across Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Missouri through the Community Infrastructure Fund (CIF). 

Funding for this program was made available, in part, by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law signed by President Biden, a key part of his Investing in America agenda to grow local economies from the middle out and bottom up and create more resilient and healthier communities across the country.

The Town of Edwards Water Treatment project in Edwards, Mississippi, has been awarded more than $2.5 million for a pressure water system. Other municipalities in the state receiving funds are:

• The Port Gibson Water Well Rehab and Altitude Valve Replacement project in Port Gibson, $46,000+ to rehabilitate the city’s water well and replace an altitude valve on a water pump.

• The 2023 DRA Water System Improvements project in Shaw, $482,000+ for improvements to the city’s two well and tank systems.

• The Fayette Sewer System Improvement project in Fayette, $249,000+ for improvements to one of its sewer lagoons.

• The Leflore County-County Road 523 Improvements project in Greenwood, $500,000 to rehabilitate two miles of Leflore County Road 523.

• The Falcon Reconnect Water Well project in Sledge, $509,000 to reconnect the Town of Falcon’s water well to the water system.

• The Durant Wastewater Treatment Facility Improvements project in Durant, $609,000+ to improve the city’s wastewater treatment facility.

• The Quitman County Darling Sewer project in Marks, $761,000+ to establish a sewer service to the Darling community.

The 34 new investment projects will improve basic public infrastructure, transportation infrastructure, and flood control in communities across DRA’s region. These projects are projected to create or retain 1,400 jobs and affect nearly 12,300 families.

“The Community Infrastructure Fund is one of DRA’s most unique tools that allows us to expand and invest in the resiliency of the region’s public infrastructure,” said DRA Federal Co-Chairman Dr. Corey Wiggins. “As a result of this investment, over 12,000 families will have improved access to infrastructure, helping to improve their quality of life and increase economic opportunities in their communities.”

The purpose of the CIF program is to address unmet basic public infrastructure, transportation infrastructure, and flood control needs to help build safer, more resilient communities in the Delta region.