ARPA funds coming up short for North Havre County Water District

Hill County, and the North Havre County Water District, are discussing scaling back some of the American Rescue Plan Act-funded projects due to rising costs, with the district and Hill County Commission discussing details of how to do that in a Sunday meeting with representatives from the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation.

North Havre County Water District President Karl Verploegen and District Operator and Manager Mike Ladenburg said they originally wanted to install a clear well but the cost was so high that they couldn’t pay for it even with the ARPA funds provided by the county.

Clear wells function as final storage for water before distribution and can be used to more efficiently treat water so it is safe before being sent out.

Hill County Commissioner Mark Peterson said the people who rely on this system have some of the highest rates in the state and the district is in need of significant improvement, but based on the bids coming back it looks like the clear well just isn’t something they can do.

However, Peterson and the district representatives said they can use ARPA funds for other things, like installing power generators in the system.

Ladenburg said a Hutterite colony as well as local fire fighters rely on that water and, at this point, if power goes out for more than 36 hours the water will be gone.

Peterson said that installing on-site backup power is a critical safety measure and would be a good use for these funds.

He said the money can also be used for planning other improvements to the district which is in need of several improvements.

DNRC Resource Development Bureau Chief Autumn Coleman said DNRC and Montana Disaster and Emergency Service have grant programs that may be able to address the needs of the fire department, but she’s not familiar with the specifics of those programs and if they can help in this case.

Coleman, in addition to answering technical questions on how ARPA funding can be used, what can be used for matches and other concerns, said they can set up meetings to help draft a budget, scope of work and schedule now that the plans for the project has changed.

She said ARPA funds need to be obligated by the end of 2024 and spent by the end of 2025.

After Verploegen and Ladenburg left, Coleman and the Hill County Commission also discussed ARPA funding for the Milk River Levee, which Coleman said looks like its on track.

The levee, which was completed in 1957, was designed to prevent destructive flooding that often devastated the area.

Havre and North Havre flooded fairly regularly, sometimes severely, before the levee system was completed.

However, after inspections in 2014 and 2015, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said the levee did not meet their standards. Problems with the levee include structures being built too close or against the levee and trees growing on it.

If the levee isn’t certified by the Corps, people determined to be in a floodplain will be required to buy flood insurance, a significant financial hit for many in the community.

After the meeting Peterson said even with the ARPA funding they won’t be able to address everything on the levee that they want to, but they will be able to pay for a significant amount of work and will continue to work on the structure in segments until it is up to Corps standards.

He said what areas and aspects of the project will be prioritized depends on how much funding they can get, but they’ve already been able to do a lot of work.

He said they have cleared trees and brush encroaching on the levee which the Corps feared could weaken the structure, inspected culverts, and installed devices on the levee to better manage water levels.

Peterson said junked cars still are encroaching on the levy and some old structures on the north side that may need to be addressed, but progress is being made.