CASPER, Oct. 25, 2021 – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is investing $272 million to modernize rural drinking water and wastewater infrastructure for 270,000 people living in rural communities across 37 states and Puerto Rico.
“As people in many parts of the nation battle drought and fires brought on by climate change, there has never been a more urgent need for this assistance,” Vilsack said. “When we invest in rural infrastructure, we build opportunity and prosperity for people in rural communities. These investments support the local economy by making rural communities attractive, economically viable and safe places to live and work, therefore helping to create and save jobs by attracting and retaining employers and workers. Investing in rural water infrastructure is one of the many things the Biden-Harris Administration is doing to help the nation build back better during the ongoing recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.”
The town of Lusk is receiving $3,019,000 in funding to improve its water and wastewater infrastructure. Miles of water and sewer mains will be replaced, and the storm collection system will be enhanced. To date, the town has received a total of $5.45 million from Rural Development for this project.
“A flood devastated the town of Lusk six years ago, and today they are still in the process of rebuilding vital infrastructure,” Acting State Director Janice Blare said. “Rural Development has partnered with the State of Wyoming to assist this community with water and waste disposal infrastructure to ensure health and safety standards are met.”
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. The program serves people and businesses in eligible rural areas with populations of 10,000 or less.
To learn more about investment resources for rural areas, contact the USDA Rural Development state office in Casper.
Under the Biden-Harris Administration, Rural Development provides loans and grants to help expand economic opportunities, create jobs and improve the quality of life for millions of Americans 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, tribal and high-poverty areas. For more information, visit www.rd.usda.gov. If you’d like to subscribe to USDA Rural Development updates, visit our GovDelivery subscriber page.
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