On May 24, the City of Boulder was officially approved for a Montana Coal Endowment Program grant award in the amount of $500,000 for infrastructure improvements related to expanding well three’s supply and production.
“The City of Boulder has been working diligently since 2020 to secure funding for much-needed water infrastructure improvements for current demand and future growth of the community,” said Elly Schmeltzer, project engineer for Morrison-Maierle engineering of Helena. “The MCEP grant is a big piece of the funding puzzle that will help to offload some of the costs of the proposed infrastructure improvements from the Boulder community. Several phases of improvements are currently underway, all with a common goal – to provide clean, safe, reliable drinking water to the residents of Boulder.”
City clerk Megan McCauley said she is very pleased with this grant.
“This will help us significantly with our water supply,” she said. “It’s a big deal. Mayor Rusty [Giulio] and [Public Works Director] Dennis [Wortman] did a great job making this happen.”
McCauley said getting this funding right now is also helpful considering some of the budget increases that are expected this year.
“It’s a huge boost,” McCauley said. “It helps us out a lot with our budget, especially considering insurance is going up significantly. The cost of living increase is always up.”
More information about the grant will be available in the coming weeks. Those with questions can contact the Montana Department of Commerce at 406-841-2770 or email doccdd@mt.gov. Or call City of Boulder Public Works at (406) 225-3381.
