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 infrastructure provides a path to economic growth and protects the health and safety of people who live and work in rural areas,” USDA Deputy Under Secretary for Rural Development Bette Brand said. “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.
Nebraska recipients are:
- The village of Lodgepole is receiving a $925,000 loan to improve its water system by installation of a transmission line to blend the two existing wells to eliminate or reduce the amount of arsenic in the water supply. The project also includes the installation of a new 150,000-gallon water storage tank to replace the current 30,000-gallon tank which does not meet state standards for providing an adequate amount of supply. Funds will also complete improvements for the existing wells and replace deteriorating parts of the collection system.
- The village of Amherst is receiving $2,359,000 in loans and a $283,000 grant to improve its wastewater system with a new three lagoon system to provide full retention of the village wastewater. This project includes a lift station and force main.
- The village of Dixon is receiving a $110,000 loan and $283,400 grant to make improvements to its water system required to meet applicable health and sanitary standards. The village's water system consists of three wells constructed in 1978. Only one well is the source of water for the village. The second well is unfit for drinking water because of its high concentration of iron and manganese. This well is generally off and is only used in emergency situations (fire). The third well has started to go dry and is now pumping sand, leaving the village with only one source of water thus not meeting the 10 State Standard for two water sources. This project will drill a test well, and based on that test well, construct a new well. The old water meters will also be replaced to be sure that water usage is accurately measured.
- The village of Martinsburg is receiving a $213,000 loan to improve and update its water system that is required to meet applicable health and sanitary standards. The village's water system consists of two wells developed in 1978 and 1987 along with the existing standpipe thought to be 40 plus years old. The village’s existing wells have been identified by the Department of Health and Human Services with uranium levels above safe drinking water standards. The project is to drill a new well, develop and construct a blending station and add a generator for backup power during emergencies. The two existing wells will also be refurbished, and a new stainless-steel standpipe will be constructed to replace the existing one. The blending station will include controls to blend water from all three wells to mitigate the uranium concern and return the community water standards back to a safe source of drinking water.
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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