Waterbury mobile home parks awarded state grants to fix water, septic systems

February 9, 2023  |  By Lisa Scagliotti  

Kneeland Flats Mobile Home Park has needed a better water system for many years. Photo by Lisa Scagliotti

Two Waterbury mobile home parks will receive state grants to assist with upgrades to septic and water systems, according to an announcement from the state on Wednesday.

Gov. Phil Scott and the Agency of Natural Resources announced $12.6 million in Healthy Homes Initiative awards to help 36 manufactured housing communities repair, replace, and upgrade water infrastructure.

“This critical funding supports safe, affordable housing and improves the quality of life for those living in manufactured housing communities,” the governor said. “Through this round of funding, an estimated 3,975 residents – including 1,100 seniors and 830 children – will be able to more reliably access safe drinking water, and will be served by improved wastewater, stormwater, and drainage systems, protecting both them and the environment.”

Most of the grants awarded by the state program will address significant problems with outdated and failing wastewater and drinking water systems. Awardees can use the funds to pay for engineering assessments of affected systems, technical and permitting assistance, and construction. 

The Waterbury communities receiving funding are both in Waterbury Center: East Wind Mobile Home Park off Vermont Route 100 and Kneeland Flats Mobile Home Park off Kneeland Flats Road. 

East Wind will receive a grant of $304,049 for technical assistance, permitting, and construction funding to design, permit, and replace its existing septic systems. 

The grant for Kneeland Flats is $62,150 to pay for technical assistance and permitting costs associated with designing and permitting a project to upgrade the park’s water distribution system. Officials with the Edward Farrar Utility District have been discussing the potential to upgrade the neighborhood’s private system and incorporate it into the municipal water system for several years. 

This funding will help begin that process, said Municipal Manager Tom Leitz. “My understanding is this will fund the planning/engineering expenses. Once completed, I am hopeful that will lead to a second grant which would finance the actual infrastructure, or at least a substantial portion thereof,” he said.  

Getting the improvements on the drawing board is an important step toward improving the water and wastewater systems in both neighborhoods. “This is some real progress for both mobile home parks,” Leitz said. 

Eligible manufactured housing communities included those registered with the state. Grants were approved for projects in all 14 counties of the state. 

Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner John Beling said that mobile home communities have historically faced financial and technical challenges to fixing water infrastructure needs. “By offering both technical and financial assistance, we can help ensure these Vermont communities are healthier and more resilient,” he said in announcing the grants. 

Funding for the Healthy Homes Initiative comes from $24.75 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act money to help manufactured housing communities (also known as mobile home parks) fix water infrastructure issues related to drinking water, wastewater, stormwater, and drainage systems. 

Grant applications were submitted last summer. Agreements will be finalized soon to award the funding to the recipient developments. In addition, state officials in their announcement said that the project has an additional reserve fund of nearly $1.6 million that will be available to recipients to cover unforeseen costs beyond the amounts requested in their grant applications. Awards of contingency funds will be subject to review and approval from the Healthy Homes Initiative.

The project will accept grant applications this year for another round of funding. More information is available online on the project funding webpage.

Correction: This story was updated to clarify the potential improvements to the Kneeland Flats water system.