WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., today announced that Ripley, located in Tippah County, will receive $300,000 in grant funding from the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) for improvements to its wastewater treatment plant project.

“I am pleased to see that Ripley is receiving this ARC project aid,” Wicker said. “The grant will ensure that the community can make vital repairs and upgrades to its local wastewater system, improving the quality and reliability of the town’s new treatment facility.”

The Ripley wastewater treatment plant upgrades will improve sewer service for 2,098 households and 301 businesses in the project service area. Advancements include new equipment and site modifications as part of Ripley’s longer-term, system-wide enhancement plan.

In addition to the ARC funding, the state will provide $150,000 through the Mississippi Development Authority, and local sources will contribute $125,000 to the project, bringing the estimated total project cost to $575,000.

ARC awards grants and contracts from funds appropriated to the Commission annually by Congress. Program grants are directed to state and local agencies, local governing boards, and nonprofit organizations. In addition to investments in infrastructure, contracts are awarded for research on topics that directly impact economic development in the Appalachian Region, which includes 24 counties in northeastern Mississippi. Governors of the 13 Appalachian states and one federal co-chair serve on the Commission.

Wicker recently led efforts to reauthorize ARC, sponsoring legislation to allocate $100 million annually over the next five years. That measure was passed by the Senate on July 30, 2015, by a vote of 65-34. The proposal is currently awaiting action by the House of Representatives.