Sen. Katie Britt secured $3.093 million in FY26 Homeland Security funding to upgrade storm drainage at UWA in Livingston.
A major storm-drainage upgrade tied to public safety in Alabama moved forward after U.S. Sen. Katie Britt secured more than $3 million for the University of West Alabama and the city of Livingston—funds intended to reduce flooding and infrastructure damage.
The $3.093 million appropriation, secured by Britt, was added to the FY26 Homeland Security Appropriations Act.. Britt. who chairs the Homeland Security Subcommittee on Appropriations. said the investment is designed to help the region better withstand severe weather by improving drainage before problems escalate.
Britt framed the funding as part of a broader need to mitigate the fallout that can follow major weather events. including flooding. damage to public infrastructure. and risks to public safety.. The purpose of the appropriation is to support storm drainage improvements on the UWA campus. where runoff flows into the Sucarnoochee River.
Implementation will rely on coordination between the university and the city. Britt’s office highlighted that outdated drainage has contributed to flooding impacts around campus, including on sidewalks, roads, parking lots, and other facilities during severe weather.
University leadership and city officials portrayed the announcement as an effort that goes beyond campus grounds. tying infrastructure improvements to long-term community resilience.. UWA President Todd G.. Fritch welcomed the funding. arguing that stronger safety measures for students also strengthen the university’s connection to the surrounding area.. He emphasized that collaboration across city. state. county. and federal partners is important to help the university continue serving its students.
Livingston Mayor Bird Dial called the appropriation a significant win for the city and UWA.. In his remarks. he linked improvements to public safety and future development. saying that upgrading infrastructure is about making the community more prepared for growth as well as reducing immediate storm-related problems.
For Livingston. the funding is positioned as both a response to recurring storm impacts and a step toward more resilient local planning.. With the storm drainage system improvements set to be carried out through a partnership with UWA. the project aims to protect campus and community assets from flooding during severe weather while supporting livability in the area.
Katie Britt U.S. Senate FY26 Homeland Security University of West Alabama Livingston storm drainage Sucarnoochee River public safety
so this is homeland security money for a ditch basically
I live near Livingston and that flooding has been bad for years honestly. glad someone finally doing something but I feel like we been saying this forever and nothing happens til a politician needs a photo op you know what I mean. still better than nothing I guess.
wait I thought Katie Britt was against government spending?? my cousin said she voted no on like every infrastructure bill last year so how is she now taking credit for 3 million dollars in spending that dont make any sense to me. politicians always do this take money they voted against and then act like they did something. the whole thing is just backwards and people just clap anyway cause they see their name on it.
UWA is a good school my nephew went there and graduated in 2019 with a business degree. hope this helps the kids on campus when it rains bad cause those parking lots flood something terrible from what he told me. also wasnt there a big storm that hit that whole area a couple years back I feel like I remember seeing it on the news. anyway good for them getting this money the river flooding is no joke.