Ridgeland receives $3.4M grant to improve flood infrastructure

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The town of Ridgeland has been awarded a $3.4 million federal grant to make critical water and wastewater infrastructure improvements to protect businesses from future floods.

The U.S. Economic Development Administration grant will be matched with $847,000 in local investment, according to a news release from the U.S. Department of Commerce.

“The improved water and wastewater infrastructure to serve Ridgeland will protect businesses from future flood events and promote the region’s future economic resiliency,” U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross said in the release.

The project is funded by the Additional Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Relief Act of 2019, which provided the EDA with $600 million in funds for disaster relief and recovery for areas affected by hurricanes Florence, Michael, and Lane; typhoons Yutu and Mangkhut; wildfires; volcanic eruptions; and other major natural disasters in 2018 as well as tornadoes and floods in 2019.

“Ensuring businesses that there is adequate infrastructure in place to protect their assets and support their future is vital,” Dana Gartzke, performing the duties of the assistant secretary of commerce for economic development, said. “Enhancing the resiliency of Ridgeland’s water and wastewater systems in the aftermath of flooding caused by Hurricane Florence will help businesses remain operational after flood events and keep the community economically competitive.”