The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency awarded more than $179 million to the Texas Water Development Board. The new infusion of money provided by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 is designed to help state and local governments finance overdue improvements to wastewater projects essential to protecting public health and the environment.

The funds will go to the state’s Clean Water State Revolving Fund program. The Clean Water State Revolving Fund program provides low-interest loans for water-quality protection projects for wastewater treatment, non-point source pollution control and watershed and estuary management.