The Environmental Protection Agency has awarded $19.5 million in stimulus money to Mississippi to help upgrade the state’s aging water system.

The EPA announced the grant in a news release, saying it will help the state and local governments finance many overdue water improvement projects.

Keith Allen, director of water supply for the Mississippi Department of Health, says the funding is sorely needed because portions of the state’s water infrastructure date back five decades. He said Mississippi typically gets around $8.5 million annually in EPA grants.

While the stimulus money will help, Allen said, it will not be nearly enough to tackle all the projects on the state’s priority list filed with the EPA.