Louisiana moved forward with putting money into 29 water and sewer projects around the state. The state’s Water Section Commission recommended Tuesday that this initial group of projects — costing around $23 million in total —  receive funding. 

The projects would upgrade water and sewer systems in Calcasieu Parish, West Monroe, Natchez and DeQuincy, among other places. The Louisiana Legislature’s joint budget committee still needs to approve the list, but that rubber stamp is expected Wednesday. 

More water and sewer system improvements are still in the works. After hitting a few operational snags, applications for the first round of water and sewer system funding were submitted in November, with 539 eligible applications totaling more than $1.1 billion in requests. Under the guidelines, eligible water and sewer systems can receive up to $5 million each.