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VIDALIA, La. — The Concordia Parish sewer system will receive a major facelift thanks to a $1.2 million grant, Concordia Parish Police Jury Secretary and Treasurer Sandi Burley announced during a meeting this week.

The funds would be used to rebuild the parish’s main sewer system. Burley said $1.2 million would come from a Community Development Block Grant supplemented with $400,000 from the American Rescue Plan Act and another $400,000 from a Delta Regional Authority grant.

An $11,000 match will have to come out of the parish’s budget for administrative fees.

Combined, the total budget for the project is $2 million, Burley said.

She added the grants would help the parish amid rising costs due to inflation.

“We are trying to make sure we have as much money out there without digging into our own pockets,” she said.

The next step in the sewage updates for the parish is the procurement process, where the parish will acquire bids for equipment, materials, and construction services.

The CDBG program administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development awards states, cities, and counties based on their need to develop viable urban communities and expand economic opportunities, principally for areas with smaller populations with low to moderate incomes.