Nov. 2--Gloucester has received a boost from the federal government to help fix up the city's aging water and sewer infrastructure.

Congressman John Tierney, in a visit to the city Friday, announced that $500,000 in federal State and Tribal Assistant Grant (STAG) for water and wastewater infrastructure funding has been secured to help upgrade Gloucester's George P. Riley Jr. Wastewater Facility on Essex Avenue, which was built in 1984.

The $500,000 that the city will receive from the federal grant will help save the city taxpayers from bearing the full responsibility to improve the 25-year-old facility, which is expected to cost $13 million.

Gloucester is facing a number of state and federal mandates to improve the city's water and wastewater infrastructure through projects that could cost up to $43 million. Those include a mandate from the state's Department of Environmental Protection, ordered in 2007, to repair the Essex Avenue facility after the plant malfunctioned in 2006 and discharged 20,000 gallons of untreated sewage in the vicinity of a storm drain connected to the Annisquam River.

The $500,000 lift is included in the final version of the fiscal year 2010 Department of Interior, Environment and Related Agencies Appropriation Act, which was approved on a 247-178 vote by the House last Thursday, with Senate approval coming on the same day. This bill is expected to be signed into law shortly by President Barack Obama.

"Gloucester's project was one of only five water projects in Massachusetts, and one of only 25 in all of New England, to receive funding in this spending bill," Tierney said in a prepared statement. "I trust that this assistance ... will significantly help in addressing Gloucester's capital repair needs."

Mayor Carolyn Kirk said the aid is appreciated.

"It is a start for sure," said Mayor Carolyn Kirk. "It will go a long way toward offsetting the consent order (for the required repairs) for sewer treatment."

Gloucester is also in line to receive $17.3 million from the Clean Water State Revolving Fund under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act passed by Congress earlier this year. That funding will cover the $13 million for the Essex Avenue plant plus an additional $4.3 million for the Washington Street Area Sewage rehabilitation project, according to Tierney. A final decision for these funds will be made on Jan. 15, 2010.

"Some people are still screaming about the recovery act," said Tierney during a visit to the Times newsroom late Friday morning. "But we need to decide in this country what we are going to do about our infrastructure."

Kirk negotiated with the DEP in 2008 to make the improvements to the Essex Avenue wastewater plant within a five-year period.

The Essex Avenue wastewater plant is currently going through the first phase of repairs costing about $5 million. The remainder of the project needs to be done by 2013.

"It shows it can be done when we work together," said Kirk of Tierney securing the additional funds. "I will continue to press for resources to be brought to the city on behalf of ratepayers."

Staff Writer Patrick Anderson contributed to this report.

Jonathan Phelps can be reached at 978-283-7000, x3447, or via e-mail at gt_reporter@gloucestertimes.com.

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