ST. PAUL, Minn., Feb. 26, 2024 – U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development State Director Colleen Landkamer announced today that USDA is investing $46 million to bring clean water and state-of-the-art infrastructure to rural Minnesota communities as part of President Biden's Investing in America agenda.
Today’s announcement is part of a larger $772.6 million in nationwide investments that will benefit more than 1 million people living in remote areas of the country by providing reliable high-speed internet access, clean, safe water and a range of support for rural families, agricultural producers and small businesses.
“The investments I'm announcing today will help us build our economy by bringing clean water and modern infrastructure to communities in rural Minnesota, in turn making it more possible for young people to build a good life in the communities they love, and for more people to find new opportunity in Minnesota’s rural communities,” State Director Landkamer said.
Today, USDA is awarding $46.3 million to help 9 rural utilities in Minnesota provide clean drinking water and sanitary wastewater systems. This funding builds on the $5.8 billion in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding for clean water from the Environmental Protection Agency that Vice President Harris announced yesterday in Pittsburgh.
USDA is financing projects through the Water and Waste Disposal Loan and Grant Program to help state and local governments, private nonprofits and federally recognized Tribes build and improve rural wastewater systems. The funding enables rural communities to expand access to clean and reliable drinking water, sanitary waste disposal and stormwater drainage.
For example:
- Lincoln Pipestone Rural Water System in Lac Qui Parle, Lincoln, Lyon, Redwood and Yellow Medicine counties, will use a $26,179,000 loan and a $2,194,000 grant to make water infrastructure improvements. The water source and treatment facility has seen an increased demand as the regions it serves continue to grow, and the projected water demands exceed what the facility can currently produce. The funding will help construct a new water source and water treatment facility, including three groundwater wells, a new lime softening water treatment plant, transmission and distribution pipeline, and metering facilities for new customers. The project also includes improvements to the water treatment facility, including additional finished water storage and a redundant lime contact basin.
- The City of Lake Lillian will use a $1,579,000 grant to make improvements to their water treatment facility. The current facility treats groundwater that is sourced from two wells, and it no longer meets the health and sanitary standards for treating removal of iron, manganese and arsenic, disinfection, and fluoridation. This project will allow the city to install a more efficient filter system and improve the quality of the drinking water for the city’s 238 residents.
- The City of Red Lake Falls will use an $8,310,000 loan and a $906,000 grant to make water, wastewater, and sewer infrastructure improvements. The city owns, operates, and maintains a collection system that serves 1,427 residents. This project will help to construct a new water tower, pump station and water meters, replacing infrastructure that no longer meets the community’s needs.
- The City of Osakis will use a $651,000 loan and a $497,000 grant to make improvements to their water treatment plant and water tower. The water tower has not had any repairs since it’s 1997 construction, and the water treatment plant has high ammonia levels that disrupt the treatment process and raise lead and copper levels beyond standards. The project will convert the iron filter to a biological ammonia-removal filter to allow chlorine to better clean the lines during water treatment, which will help protect the distribution system. The current 12,000-gallon detention tank will be converted to a backwash supply storage tank for non-chlorinated iron and ammonia-free water.
A full list of projects from today’s announcement is available online.
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 health care; 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.
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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