Thanks to a $485,000 grant from the Environmental Projection Agency, the North Central Iowa town of Garner will complete a much-needed upgrade to its sewer system by Spring of 2011, according to an EPA release.

The project includes replacing undersized sanitary sewers and rehabilitating existing manholes. An existing 12-inch sanitary sewer will be replaced with 2,650 feet of new 24-inch sewer pipe.

With a population of about 3,000, Garner is one of hundreds of small communities in Iowa that have outmoded sewer systems or lack a system entirely, according to a 2005 Iowa Policy Project Report.

That prospect poses dangers to Iowa’s environment and public health, leaving some waste to drain into Iowa’s waters. 

“Not only do improved sewer systems support economic growth, they are important ways of meeting public health needs while protecting our natural environment,” said Karl Brooks, EPA Region 7 Administrator.

Many small communities cannot afford updates to sewer systems, which can cost millions of dollars.

As IEF has detailed her before, Iowa researchers like Lou Licht, Gene Parkin and Craig Just are researching greener and cheaper ways to clean up waste.