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Many months have passed since Barack Obama’s stimulus package promised economic relief to our industry. I finally have good news to share.

Sopchoppy, Fla., the first city to receive stimulus money from the Department of Environmental Protection, was awarded $4.3 million from the state’s Clean Water State Revolving Fund. Environment One Corporation is providing at least 200 grinder pumps to the project, which will convert the problematic septic tanks of 300 Sopchoppy residents into a new and improved sewer system by May 2010. City officials say the project would not be possible without the help from the state and federal grants.

The City of Sopchoppy is known for its pristine waters and scenic areas, but because of the city’s layout and some interference from Mother Nature, keeping the water sanitary is a big concern.           

“The fact of inundated septic tanks is over. It’s going to work,” City of Sopchoppy Mayor Robert Greener told Tallahassee’s WCTV. Almost all of the money provided for the Sewer Collection System project will stay within 100 miles of Sopchoppy.

Pumps & Systems reader, David Courtney, a marketing consultant with extensive experience in the pump industry, directed me to www.stimuluswatch.org, which chronicles a list of stimulus projects requested for pumps. He also sent me some great information on a few stimulus-funded projects soon to be in progress, including:

• Corps of Engineer Projects – List of ARRA Approved Civil Works Projects include some pump stations
• Department of Defense – ARRA Fund distribution by State – There are a few for fire and drinking water systems
• Village of Blandchester, OH – To pay for construction of a wastewater treatment plant pump station and equalization basin via ARRA
• Central Valley, CA – To receive $45 million in stimulus funds for water
• Hamel, IL – To receive 1.4 million to modify booster pump and improve pipeline system
• Olanta, SC – Receives $600,000 in stimulus funds to pay for pump station repairs
• Puerto Rico – $72 million for water infrastructure projects via EPA

Stay tuned for more updates. Do you know of any other stimulus-funded projects in the works?

It was not a shocking newsflash when U.S. Vice President Joseph Biden acknowledged in a recent CNN report (July 6, 2009) that the $787 billion economic stimulus program has not yet provided the positive impact originally predicted by the White House. “We misread how bad the economy was,” Biden told CNN correspondent Julian E. Zelizer.

One big criticism is that the stimulus plans were unclear until after the bill was passed and that implementation has been flawed, according to the CNN report. Only a small percentage of the funds have been spent.

The biggest concern for the pump industry, according to experts I’ve spoken with directly, is the Buy American clause. WWEMA Chairman Dave Angelo stated in his association’s March/April 2009 newsletter that the big question and the source of much confusion is what does “produced in the U.S.” really mean? According to the Office of Management and Budget’s latest guidelines, a manufactured good produced in the United States is one that has been “processed into a specific form or shape; or combined with other raw material to create a material that has different properties than the properties of the individual raw materials.”

Angelo says, “Now, doesn’t that clear up the confusion?”

WWEMA has fought to keep grant money out of the equation in order to protect manufacturers that produce high quality products and know how to offer value. Angelo insists that Federal handouts have never been a good solution. “Our industry needs to move away from reliance on the federal government and become more self reliant through full cost of service rates,” he said. “While no one wants to pay more for services, necessity does drive innovation. Paying for the full cost of water will certainly create awareness with the general public and that will ultimately drive the overall costs down either through more productive use of water or through innovation.”

Pumps & Systems will continue to cover this issue, and we hope to soon find positive news to share. Look for the September issue for a report on a project partially funded by stimulus money! The October issue will feature a special section on our aging infrastructure.

Please give us some feedback on how the stimulus package is affecting your business.