Plattsmouth has received $60.9 million in zero-interest state financing to improve drinking water and wastewater infrastructure after the devastating floods of 2019 left its facilities inundated and inoperable for months.
The projects include connecting the city’s drinking water system to Omaha’s Metropolitan Utilities District and constructing a lift station to send wastewater to a new treatment facility protected from a 500-year flood.
Gov. Jim Pillen recognized the city’s recovery efforts during an Oct. 2 event at the Plattsmouth Public Library. “Plattsmouth has shown extraordinary resiliency in the aftermath of the flood, and it continues to do so as it builds drinking water and wastewater infrastructure that will serve its citizens into the future,” Pillen said in a news release.
The Nebraska Department of Water, Energy, and Environment provided financing through its State Revolving Fund programs, which help communities pay for drinking water and wastewater projects. The funding allowed Plattsmouth to begin repairs while awaiting assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, according to the governor’s office.
Plattsmouth received $23 million through the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund for the Metropolitan Utilities District connection. The project is intended to provide a reliable drinking water supply and reduce the city’s dependence on wells and treatment facilities vulnerable to flooding.
Another $37.9 million came through the Clean Water State Revolving Fund for the wastewater lift station project. Both financing packages carry a 0% interest rate under an agreement with FEMA intended to prevent duplication of funding.
Department Director Jesse Bradley said the improvements address vulnerabilities exposed by the disaster. “The 2019 flooding caused devastating damage to Plattsmouth’s wastewater facility,” Bradley said. “Now, Plattsmouth is looking ahead and building resilient infrastructure for its future.”
Nebraska Emergency Management Agency Recovery Section Administrator Donny Christensen said local, state and federal coordination helped secure funding to restore essential services and strengthen the city’s infrastructure.
Mayor R. Paul Lambert said the projects represent a long-term investment in the community. “Together, we are building more than infrastructure. We are building Plattsmouth’s future,” Lambert said.
Nebraska’s revolving fund programs have provided more than $1.75 billion in assistance through 713 loans to 326 communities since their inception. The department expects to finance roughly 40 additional projects totaling about $220 million over the next two years.
As communities repay their loans, the money becomes available to help finance additional infrastructure projects.
