Projects Will Improve Rural Water Infrastructure for Rural Residents and Businesses
STILLWATER, Oct. 27, 2020 – The Trump Administration today announced that the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is investing $891 million to modernize rural drinking water and wastewater infrastructure in 43 states.
“Upgrading water and wastewater infrastructure protects the health and safety of people who live and work in rural areas. These projects improve the lives of rural Oklahomans,” said Dr. Lee Denney USDA Rural Development Oklahoma State Director. “Under the leadership of President Trump and Secretary Perdue, USDA continues to be a strong partner to rural communities, because we know that when rural America thrives, all of America thrives.”
These 220 projects will help improve rural water infrastructure for 787,000 residents. The projects are being funded through the Water and Waste Disposal Loan and Grant Program.
Background:
The Water and Waste Disposal Loan and Grant Program provides funding for clean and reliable drinking water systems, sanitary sewage disposal, sanitary solid waste disposal, and storm water drainage to households and businesses in eligible rural areas with populations of 10,000 or less.
Investments in Oklahoma include:
- Payne County Rural Water District #4 will use a $936,000 loan and a $205,000 grant to make water system improvements. Certain lines in the system have exceeded their useful design life and will be replaced. This project includes upgrading and replacing 14 miles of waterline to adequately sized line to comply with state regulations that require a minimum pressure of 25 per square inch.
- Rural Water District #6 Wagoner County is receiving a $3.9 million loan to improve their water system. The water lines are old, deteriorating and causing water loss from leaks and the distribution system suffers from low pressures due to overgrowth. The water lines will be replaced with larger lines to allow the District to meet the state minimum pressure design standard of 25 per square inch. A new water line will be installed to connect the District to a backup water supply. One water storage tank will be rehabilitated and the other will be replaced with a larger tank to alleviate the low-pressure areas.
- Carney Public Utilities Authority will use a $1.8 million loan and a $1.3 million grant to make improvements to its wastewater collection system. These improvements include new sewer lines, manholes and service taps and will result in meeting established discharge limits.
- Rural Water Sewer & Solid Waste Management District No. 1, Beckham County will use a $499,000 loan to purchase and install water meters. These improvements will help reduce the District’s water loss.
- Tenkiller Utilities Authority will use a $10.6 million loan and $4.6 million grant to construct a regional water treatment plant with a 1.8 million gallons per day capacity. To connect the nine rural water systems that comprise the Authority, construction will also include a transmission line, two pump stations and three water storage tanks. These improvements will result in increased water and energy efficiency and a reduction in operation and maintenance costs for the nine participating systems.
These USDA investments are going to Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin and West Virginia.
To learn more about investment resources for rural areas, interested parties should contact their USDA Rural Development state office.
USDA Rural Development provides loans and grants to help expand economic opportunities and create jobs in rural areas. This assistance supports infrastructure improvements; business development; housing; community facilities such as schools, public safety and health care; and high-speed internet access in rural areas. For more information, visit www.rd.usda.gov.
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