Hattiesburg, Mississippi, awarded $150,000 for long-term stormwater pollution plan

The Environmental Protection Agency recently said that Hattiesburg, Mississippi, will receive $150,000 in technical assistance to develop long-term strategies for stormwater pollution management using a package of EPA tools.

The city is currently focused on revitalizing its Midtown area, which is bisected by Little Gordon’s Creek. The creek flows into the larger Gordon Creek, which is currently impaired because of fecal coliform and nutrient pollution. Using the EPA’s funding and tools, Hattiesburg will work to improve water quality in Little Gordon’s Creek and Gordon Creek in conjunction with its efforts to revitalize Midtown.

"When communities link the timing and implementation of stormwater projects with broader planning activities, they can reduce costs and support more sustainable local development," EPA Office of Water Deputy Assistant Administrator Joel Beauvais said. “As stormwater increasingly threatens public health and the environment, EPA can help communities integrate stormwater management with broader plans for growing their economies, investing in critical infrastructure and meeting their water quality objectives.”

The EPA is providing similar funding to Burlington, Iowa; Chester, Pennsylvania; Rochester, New Hampshire; and Santa Fe, New Mexico. The funding will allow those communities to follow the EPA's newly released step-by-step guide for the development of long-term stormwater plans. The communities will serve as national models that other communities can learn from.