Belen placed on Water Trust Board award list for $21 million wastewater renovation

City Manager Roseanne told the City Council on June 1 that the city’s application to renovate Belen’s wastewater treatment plant has been placed on the 2026 Water Trust Board award list for $21 million, though a formal award letter has not yet been received. She said staff had been invited to training on funding requirements and cautioned that the Water Trust program is a grant–loan hybrid, with final terms to be determined when the award letter arrives.

Councilors and staff credited a multi-department effort—city engineers, development services, wastewater plant personnel and Council support—for preparing the application. Councilor Frank F. Ortega said the outcome fulfilled a long-standing Council priority to address the plant, which he characterized as a campaign commitment dating to 2014. Staff noted that project planning and future construction will require further approvals and coordination with state program requirements.

The City Manager also reported related funding and planning activity: negotiations on a solid-waste services contract with Universal Waste were nearing completion, a Great Blocks grant Notice of Obligation remained pending while state contract language is finalized, and staff are compiling brownfield remediation resources for economic development outreach. No final contract terms or construction timelines were announced at the June 1 meeting; Councilors asked staff to follow up on the Notice of Obligation and other next steps.