One Marion County community is among the 71 in the state that will receive a combined total of $35 million from the Water Quality Financial Assistance Program. Knoxville will receive $980,000 for the construction of a storm water detention basin. Governor Chet Culver announced the distribution of funds, which are part of the Culver/Judge I-JOBS initiative, Wednesday afternoon.

Knoxville Public Works Director Jeff May tells KNIA/KRLS news the money will be used to expand the equalization basin. The current basin is 4 million gallons and the city purchased land near the treatment plant a few years back in order to have room to expand. May says he’s not sure how big the new basin will be, as they are working with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources on the project and the DNR must approve it before they can move forward, but he imagines they will build a new basin with a capacity of 20 to 50 million gallons. The total cost of the project and which percentage the I-JOBS assistance funds will cover is not known at this time.

Communities with populations of less than 10,000 were able to apply for the assistance in order to implement clean drinking and wastewater projects, Knoxville is the only community in Marion County who receive this assistance.