WORDEN- Yellowstone County says it will share federal dollars with the Worden Ballantine Yellowstone County Water District to help fix water problems that have spanned years and prevented residents from drinking it.
Those with the Worden Ballantine water district asked Yellowstone County commissioners in June for a portion of the $31 million coming to the county from the American Recovery Rescue Plan Act.
The county responded on Tuesday, saying it decided to redirect the county’s entire minimum allocation grant of $2.8 million to the water district.
For two years, residents have been plagued with high levels of nitrates in the water system.
Boiling doesn’t work either, so people have resorted to bottled water or installing costly water filtration systems.
While the county has agreed to lend some much-needed money to help, water district officials say the most expensive phase of the project at $7.2 million has yet to be financed.
The county’s contribution is in addition to money the district has received through the federal Rural Development grant program, which included a grant of $2.2 million in addition to the $2.6 million in loans that the district financed with rate structure increases and tax assessments on property within the district.
The water board will re-submit a new grant application to the state for more funding.
