(Big Sandy, Mont.) – U.S. Senator Jon Tester today announced he recently secured $4,938,000 in Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) grant funding for the Montana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) to improve access to clean drinking water across the state.
The funding secured by Tester comes from the Fiscal Year 2023 (FY23) Government Funding Bill. Tester was the only member of Montana’s congressional delegation to support the funding.
“As a third generation Montana farmer, I know firsthand just how important clean water is to the growth and development of Montana’s rural communities and small businesses,” said Tester. “Ensuring children and families have reliable and consistent access to clean drinking water shouldn’t ever be partisan – which is why I’ll always support legislation to strengthen Montana’s access to clean water. I’m proud to have helped secure this funding for the Treasure State, and will stay in touch with state officials to ensure it’s used right.”
The funding secured by Tester will help carry out goals authorized by the Safe Water Drinking Act. The funding can be used to address the planning, design, and construction of eligible drinking water improvement projects and activities to protect human health. Specifically, the funds can be used for improving drinking water treatment, water distribution, improving source of water supply, replacing or constructing finished water storage tanks, and other infrastructure projects.
Additionally, last week Tester secured $565,000 in grant funding to remove lead in sources of drinking water in Montana schools and child care facilities as a direct result of his bipartisan infrastructure law. Tester worked across the aisle for months to negotiate his Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) with a group of five Republicans, four Democrats, and the White House. Tester’s law is projected to create more than 800,000 American jobs and lower costs for businesses by making targeted investments that will strengthen our nation without raising taxes on working families.
