BUENA VISTA, Ga., Sept. 16, 2021 – United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Deputy Under Secretary for Rural Development Justin Maxson today announced that USDA is investing $8.6 million to improve the wastewater collection and treatment system for the 2,173 residents of Buena Vista, Ga.
“For decades, our country’s infrastructure hasn’t received the attention it needed. The consequences of this disinvestment have fallen hardest on communities of color and rural towns and cities where residents face the harshest economic realities,” said Maxson. “Livable communities – communities with a growing economy, effective community services like health care, and affordable housing – need modern and reliable water and sewer infrastructure. Under the leadership of President Biden and Vice President Harris, USDA is investing in communities and people who need it the most: to help them build back better, stronger and more equitably than ever before.” USDA is funding this project through the Water and Waste Disposal Loan and Grant Program. The investment, which consists of a $2.6 million loan and $6 million grant, will finance the construction of a replacement treatment plant that will reduce sewage spills and backups and increase system efficiency.
Background:
Buena Vista is a rural community in west-central Georgia. Its 2,173 residents have among the lowest median household incomes in the state. The city is in Marion County, a federally designated persistent poverty county that the Georgia Department of Community Affairs has classified as one with the greatest economic needs.
The city’s planned wastewater improvements are the result of a collaboration with several entities, including USDA Rural Development, the Georgia Rural Water Association and the Georgia Rural Community Assistance Program.
USDA’s 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. The program offers long-term, low-interest loans. If funds are available, a grant may be combined with a loan to keep user costs reasonable.
To learn more about these and other resources for rural areas, contact the Community Programs Division of Georgia office of Rural Development at (706) 546-2171.
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. In 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.