The City of Hartley will have almost half of a $1.1 million infrastructure project paid for before the first shovel pierces the ground later this summer.

The Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) on June 3 announced Hartley was the recipient of a $500,000 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG). The money will help cover expenses for upgrades to the lift station located at North Eighth Avenue East and Second Street Northeast that serves a large portion of the northeast quadrant of town.

Sixteen other communities applied for $5.8 million worth of CDBG funds, with six receiving awards totaling $2.27 million. Hartley's $500,000 haul was tied for second-highest among the recipients and was the maximum the city could recieve.

"We were very pleased when we learned the city was selected," said City Adminstrator Erica Haack. "It wasn't guaranteed we'd be picked, but we were confident we submitted the information that was needed."

Inwood in Lyon County was the only other northwest Iowa community to land CDBG funds.

Hartley city officials worked with the planning firm Simmering-Cory Iowa Codification, of Clear Lake and Storm Lake, during the grant application process. One requirement was to conduct a household survey of the area impacted by the proposed project, which was held in late August. Since the incomes of a majority of those questioned in the survey were lower than the median limits, the city became eligible for the grant program.

Grants were awarded based on the benefit to low- and moderate-income people, financial need, project impact and readiness, and commitment of local resources to the project.

The rest of the project's expenses will be financed through a State Revolving Fund loan. Haack said the city will be able to draw on funding from both sources throughout the construction process.

Work on the lift station is expected to begin later this summer. The current equipment was installed in 1967.

"It's had numerous updates throughout the years and has been discussed a lot," said Haack. "It's at the end of its life."

In a previous interview with the Sentinel-News, Hartley Superintendent of Public Works Jaron Benz explained the current lift station is undersized in addition to being outdated.

"When we get a lot of rain, one of the first areas to experience sewer backup due to water infiltrating the sanitary sewer is the low area the lift station sewer shed is in," he said. "This backup comes partly from the lift station's inability to pump the water away fast enough, which will be made better by upsizing and installing new infrastructure."

The project is hoped to alleviate the need to bypass the sewer at the lift station during large rain events. The existing lift station is located in an area that frequently floods during heavy rainfall, but since it's situated high enough that it doesn't get overwhelmed by water, the new one will remain relatively the same when it's built, Benz said.