CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS — A federal grant through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) of 2021 has allowed homeowners in Vining, Buckingham and Dinsdale to apply for the installation of new septic systems at little to no cost.

TAMA COUNTY — Replacing or installing a septic system can be a daunting task for residents in rural areas or communities without their own sewer systems, but over the last few years, Tama County Sanitarian Chris Behrens has been going the extra mile to secure federal grant funding for such projects — oftentimes at no cost to homeowners whatsoever.

Behrens said he learned about the program, which is part of President Joe Biden’s “Build Back Better” agenda, through an email solicitation, and $7 million came to the state of Iowa. In turn, officials decided to use the funds to provide grants in small communities without sewers to improve and replace septic systems and ensure they are in keeping with all current regulations. In Tama County, Vining, Buckingham and Dinsdale were the three cities eligible.

“They’re very small communities, so we just went and spread the word,” Behrens said. “I know I went to the elevator in Buckingham and put out a flier and spread the word in Vining just by knocking on doors and meeting people, and the same way with Dinsdale and tried to get as many of them as I could to apply for the grant, which was a one-page application.”

One challenge, however, was that those applying needed to have two estimates available on the cost of their projects, and Behrens said it could be “problematic” to get contractors to provide them without knowing when the actual installation would occur.

Nonetheless, Behrens was able to get 13 applications submitted between the three communities, and two have already been accepted and installed — Jim and Linda Sawyer in Buckingham and another, a $15,000 project in Vining, cost the homeowner, Drew Kupka, next to nothing.

“I think they did have to pay for something, but for all intents and purposes, it was free to that homeowner, and we did get one in Buckingham,” Behrens said.

The other 11 are expected to be funded, but like many projects involving the federal government, Behrens, the Iowa DNR and the homeowners are currently stuck playing the waiting game as they prepare to take the next steps.

The application window is now closed, and while he isn’t sure what other opportunities may arise in the future, the experience has taught Behrens to keep a close watch on his emails and do whatever he can to help local homeowners.

“I could’ve not acted on it, but I just felt like it was my duty to make sure that the citizens in these communities that were eligible for the grant were aware of it,” he said.

According to the email Behrens received, the grants are part of a $100 million investment in water infrastructure made available through the federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) of 2021. A portion of the funding will be dedicated to onsite wastewater systems in unsewered communities.The one-time program will provide grants to property owners meeting certain eligibility requirements and will be jointly administered by the Iowa DNR and Iowa Finance Authority, similar to the OSWAP loan program, with a focus on the 460 communities previously identified as having 10 or more homes on 10 acres or less where half of the occupied properties didn’t have adequate wastewater systems, properties that were constructed prior to the implementation of statewide onsite system rules and properties that were not updated during time of transfer requirements.

“There is up to $10 million allocated for this program. Depending on funding demand, the grant award may be capped. It is our hope, however, that the grant will cover all the project costs,” the message concluded. “If funds remain available after the initial priority eligibility projects have had an opportunity to do projects, program eligibility may expand.”