U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that USDA is investing $5.2 billion to build and improve critical rural infrastructure in 46 states and Puerto Rico. The investments reflect the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to Building a Better America by investing in rural communities and will help expand access to high-speed internet, clean water and reliable electricity in people’s homes and businesses across rural America.
“When we invest in rural infrastructure, we invest in the livelihoods and health of people in rural America,” Vilsack said. “Under the leadership of President Biden and Vice President Harris, USDA is committed to Building a Better America by investing in America’s rural infrastructure, expanding access to broadband, clean drinking water and resilient power infrastructure. The investments we are announcing today will drive the creation of good-paying union jobs and grow the economy sustainably and equitably so that everyone gets ahead for decades to come.”
This announcement follows the recent passage of President Biden’s historic Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and reflects the many ways USDA Rural Development’s programs are helping people, businesses and communities address critical infrastructure needs to help rural America build back better.
For example in Illinois:
- The City of Mcleansboro will use a $14 million loan and $4.4 million grant under the Water and Waste Disposal Loan and Grant Program to make sewer improvements to the city collection and treatment plant. Project plans include collection system remediation, treatment plant rehabilitation, replacement of headworks, lift station replacement and flow monitoring, and collection system extensions to un-served users as identified in the Preliminary Engineering Report (PER), which was previously funded through Rural Development Preliminary Planning Grant funds. This project will reduce operation costs and ease the constant burden on city personnel of maintaining a previously failing system. The improvements increase the efficiency of the treatment and reduce the solids loading to Cell 1 thereby extending the treatment plants life expectancy. This project eliminates environmental contamination and ensures the health and safety of users, and the ability to hookup an additional 30 city users currently on a septic system.
- Western Wayne Water District will use a $4.7 million loan under the Water and Waste Disposal Loan and Grant Program to refinance existing Rural Development direct loan debt for Western Wayne Water District. This project will be a Rural Development Guaranteed loan, which lower the interest rate and improve the Water Districts overall financial position and enable them to continue to provide water service to over 3800 residents in Wayne County, Ill. .
- The Village of Andover will use a $1.7 million loan and $250,000 grant under the Water and Waste Disposal Loan and Grant Program to drill a new well as a second water source and replace their gas chlorine system at the water treatment plant with a sodium hypochlorite system where new chemical feed pumps will be installed. Distribution system improvements will include replacing the "center spine" of the system with 6" PVC pipe. This will allow a higher volume of water to be delivered to the east and west ends of the Village. In addition, all 1" and 2" water main will be replaced with 4" PVC pipe. Lastly, the elevated storage tank will be rehabilitated, which includes blasting and repainting both the interiors and exterior. In addition, the screen on the end of the overflow pipe will be replaced. This project will improve the Village's water system to better serve their residents.
Background
Vilsack highlighted 359 investments that USDA is making in seven programs designed to help people in rural areas access high-speed internet, clean water and dependable electric power. These programs include Community Connect Grants, Electric Infrastructure Loan and Loan Guarantee Program, Telecommunications Infrastructure Loans and Loan Guarantees, Water and Waste Disposal Loan and Grant Program, Water and Waste Disposal Loan Guarantees, Water and Waste Disposal Technical Assistance and Training Grants and Water and Waste Disposal Predevelopment Planning Grants.
The investments announced today will support rural infrastructure projects in Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, Nebraska, North Dakota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Wyoming and Puerto Rico.
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.
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, promoting competition and 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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