Kansas agencies outline how new State Water Plan transfers will fund reservoir, groundwater and small-town projects

The Kansas Water Office and partner state agencies told the House Committee on Water on Tuesday that the Legislature's recent transfer to the State Water Plan Fund under Senate Sub. for House Bill 2302 will finance reservoir protection, groundwater projects and grants for small communities.

Connie Owen, director of the Kansas Water Office, said the statute creates a five-year transfer of $35,000,000 a year into the State Water Plan Fund and that $18,000,000 of that amount goes to the Water Office budget for FY24 allocations and related programs.

The transfer funds two newly created grant programs administered through the Water Office: a Technical Assistance Grant targeted primarily to communities of about 2,000 people or fewer, and a Water Projects Grant for infrastructure needs such as treatment upgrades and sewer lines. Owen told the committee the two grant pots initially were set at $7,500,000 (technical assistance) and $19,500,000 (projects), and that an additional $10,000,000 was later added to the grant programs.

Nut graf: Committee members heard agencies describe how the new money will be divided among interagency priorities — reservoir sediment-reduction projects, groundwater studies and…