Many Bethel homes still haul water. This money starts to change that.

Plenty of Bethel residents still get their water by truck. A round of state funding approved this month moves the city closer to changing that, and does it without adding debt.

The state granted full principal forgiveness on four of Bethel's water infrastructure requests, worth about $3.4 million — meaning the city keeps the money rather than repaying it. The largest piece, $1.9 million, pays to design a distribution center: a 500,000-gallon storage tank and a pumphouse on Chief Eddie Hoffman Highway, the physical starting point for piping water to homes.

The same package buys a new water haul truck. Bethel will keep hauling while it designs the system meant to end hauling.

A fifth request, $3.3 million to replace roughly 145 failing lift station panels, got $2 million forgiven. Applications are due July 31.