NASHVILLE, Tenn., May 14, 2024 – U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development Tennessee State Director Arlisa Armstrong today announced that USDA is funding two rural Tennessee utility districts to help improve access to clean drinking water for residents in Hancock and Tipton County. The announcement was made during President Biden's Infrastructure Week which highlights the progress the Biden-Harris Administration has made to improve American infrastructure through historic funding packages such as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act.
The investments advance President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, a key pillar of Bidenomics, to grow the American economy from the middle out and bottom up.
“We are pleased to partner with Sneedville Utility District, Poplar Grove Utility District and Caney Fork Electric Cooperative to build brighter futures and help empower people with modern infrastructure,” Armstrong said. “Today’s investments support the local economy by making rural communities attractive, economically viable and safe places to live and work. It ensures that people who live and work in rural Tennessee have every opportunity to succeed – and that they can find those opportunities right at home.”
USDA is investing $671 million to support projects in 23 states that will lower electric bills for rural families and businesses, while ensuring they have access to clean water, which is essential to the health of every community.
Through projects financed by USDA’s Water and Waste Disposal Loans, Grants and Loan Guarantees, the agency is helping state and local governments, private nonprofits and federally recognized Tribes build and improve rural wastewater systems.
The funding will enable rural communities to expand access to clean and reliable drinking water, sanitary waste disposal and storm water drainage. For example:
- Sneedville Utility District will use a $423,000 grant to complete the project that will provide potable water to the Newman's Ridge Community in Sneedville, Tennessee. The project consists of installing 9,140 feet of 4 water lines. The project will also consist of upgrading an existing pump station and adding two additional pump stations. The project will benefit over 60 residents.
- Poplar Grove Utility District of Atoka, Tipton County, will use a $8.4 million loan to expand the Water Treatment Plant and add an additional raw water well. The scope of this proposed expansion is to increase all unit processes to a minimum capacity of 6.0 MGD, which will meet the calculated needs. To meet these needs, the expansion includes a 2.0 MGD water supply well, a 2.0 MGD clarifier, and two 1.0 MGD gravity filters.
USDA is also providing funding through the Electric Infrastructure Loan and Loan Guarantee Program to help utility providers and electric cooperatives build and improve electric infrastructure, smart-grid technologies and renewable energy systems.
These projects will help ensure everyone in rural areas has access to reliable electricity to increase economic opportunity and quality of life:
- Caney Fork Electric Cooperative will use funding to connect nearly 3,000 consumers and build and improve 253 miles of power lines. This includes $1,568,000 in smart grid technologies. The cooperative provides electric service to more than 34,000 consumers by facilitating over 4,047 miles of power line in eight counties in central Tennessee.
Funding in today’s announcement will help people living in Alaska, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Washington, and West Virginia.
Under the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA 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 healthcare; and high-speed internet access in rural, Tribal and high-poverty areas. Visit the Rural Data Gateway to learn how and where these investments are impacting rural America. For more information, visit www.rd.usda.gov.
USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. Under the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA is transforming America’s food system with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional food production, fairer markets for all producers, ensuring access to safe, healthy and nutritious food in all communities, building new markets and streams of income for farmers and producers using climate-smart food and forestry practices, making historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy capabilities in rural America, and committing to equity across the Department by removing systemic barriers and building a workforce more representative of America. To learn more, visit www.usda.gov.
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