Sewer project in Cape is wise use of ARP funds

Cape Girardeau has some funds available from the American Rescue Plan (ARP), and city leaders, following council approval last summer, have decided to put a portion toward fixing a problem with the sewer system.

A study from 2015 revealed several defects regarding stormwater filtering into the sewer system via cracks and groundwater seeping into the system. According to a recent Southeast Missourian story, some of the repairs were made in 2017. Still, city officials said there are several fixes remaining.

"The work we're going to do, and that we've been doing for decades, has to do with trying to find those defects and get them patched so they'll stop leaking," Public Works director Stan Polivick said. "This will keep rainwater out of the sewer system because it doesn't belong there."

Thankfully, for the city, there are ARP funds available -- though it's likely not enough to take care of all the work that needs to be done on the sewer system, Polivick said.

For those who don't remember, ARP funds were federal dollars approved under the Biden administration ($30.5 billion in total) to support public transportation systems as they responded to the pandemic. It also was meant to assist in U.S. vaccinations.

The Cape Girardeau City Council previously approved a strategy that also includes allocating $4.58 million of ARP funds to offset lost public sector revenue during the COVID-19 pandemic. About $750,000 would go toward various programs and services.

You can certainly debate whether the total amount of American Rescue Plan spending was necessary. It's a significant amount of taxpayer funds, and it's not free money. But the fact remains that Cape Girardeau received more than $8.2 million, and certainly the sewer project appears to be a good use of funds for a valid capital expenditure.