The Mount Vernon City Council has voted to greenlight several sewer infrastructure projects using part of a $150 million state grant. This is the first time the Board has voted to use these funds.
The city council has approved a $6 million state-funded contract to address a major disruption in the city’s crumbling sewer system.
$5 million will be used for priority wastewater projects identified as critically in need of repair in the city’s Emissions Action Plan this summer.
The remaining $1 million will go towards installing cameras on pipes and project consulting.
Mount Vernon Mayor Shawyn Patterson-Howard said this is a historic level of investment in rebuilding the city’s infrastructure.
“It’s really focused on sewers and stormwater because they’re both underground systems and you have to deal with both at the same time,” she says.
The city didn’t have a timeline for these projects, but it hopes that work will begin quickly now that funding has been secured.
Home inspections are expected to take place later this month, after applications open in July. The grant will be used to repair sewage damage, remove asbestos, and install flood control measures.