U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that USDA is investing approximately $90 million to build and improve critical rural infrastructure in California. 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 Fresno and Madera Counties, The Ponderosa Telephone Co. is allocated $17,225,000. This loan will extend to the Premises (FTTP) and install attendant electronic equipment to the rural areas of their Auberry, Big Creek, Friant, North Fork, O'Neals, Shaver Lake, and Wishon exchanges, making these exchanges 100 percent FTTP. Upgraded radio electronics will only be installed in the Cima exchange. Ponderosa Telephone Company proposes to construct 78.15 miles of FTTP and install all associated electronics. The improvements will sustain customer demand in broadband connectivity.
- In Madera and Mariposa Counties, the Sierra Telephone Company Inc. is allocated $40,228,000. This Rural Development investment will be used to expand fiber-to-the-premise (FTTP) service in Coarsegold, Mariposa and Raymond exchanges. Fiber will be deployed in all three exchanges using a passive optical network design that will allow up to 1Gbps service. The new facilities will be constructed in the town areas of each exchange and in the more densely populated rural areas. In addition to the loan funds, general fund of $52,711,00 will be contributed to accomplish the project. Sierra Telephone Company's current 15,761 subscribers will benefit from this investment.
Water and Environmental Programs
- In Alameda County, $157,600 is allocated to Earth Island Institute. They also received another for $62 thousand. These Rural Development investment will be used to provide technical assistance and training through direct and indirect assistance to 26 California, seven Arizona, 13 Nevada and four New Mexico federally recognized Tribes to reduce their solid waste streams. The project will accomplish this task by providing one-on-one direct consultations, workshops and tutorials with rural and remote Tribes that fit the criteria including population, median household income, poverty levels, and underserved trust areas. The project is designed to empower tribal environmental programs and governments with tools and training that increase innovation in problem solving while improving their waste management infrastructure and protecting Tribal environments.
- The City of Yreka is allocated more than $6 million to be used to replace aging infrastructure, reduce inflow & infiltration, provide adequate hydraulic capacity, and ensure safe and reliable transmission of wastewater to the City's wastewater treatment plant. The proposed project includes improvements to the City's sewer collection system within the Caltrans road right-of-way along Highway 3 (Main Street) between Lennox Road and Oberlin Road.
- The Tuolumne Utilities District is allocated a loan for approximately $ 9 million and a grant for $4.3 million. The investment will be used to for make renovations the Sonora Regional Wastewater Treatment Facility. Deficiencies will be addressed by making improvements to each unit process: Secondary Treatment, Disinfection, Sludge Stabilization and Drying, and Sludge De-watering. This will allow the system to increase the treatment capacity - including full nitrification/denitrification, handle variable flow and load including septage, and improve the effluent quality to ensure regulatory compliance.
- In Lake County, Harbor View Mutual Water is allocated about $1.8 million to be used to construct steel tanks. This funding will prevent leaks and increase storage which is essential as the current tank is not meeting current needs.
- Sierra County Waterworks District number 1 is allocated $499 thousand to resolve a fire flow issue that Sierra County Waterworks District No. 1-Calpine has been dealing with over the last couple of years. The Calpine Water System were cited for violating the Health and Safety Code on March 4, 2015 (Arsenic issues, which is resolved), but now are faced with inadequate water flow during a fire, which resulted in four homes being burned down over the last couple of years. The Calpine Water System Improvement project consists of Construction of a New Water Tank with 140,000-gallon capacity, new piping, inlets and outlets, erosion control, foundation building, and site restoration. The new water tank will allow SCWWD No. 1 to take down their other Water Tank and do needed maintenance, as well as enable the District to have sufficient water supply for daily water demand, fire storage and the possibility of expansion. The project will not only ensure safe, clean drinking water is provided to all residents of the Big Bend service area, but the insurance of extra water flow during a fire event.
- In Napa County, more than $9 million is allocated to the City of St. Helena, to install a packaged MBR Treatment plant. This Rural Development investment will be used for a treatment pond retrofit for influent flow equalization and emergency storage. As well as the construction of a new influent lift station, retrofit of existing treatment pond distribution box structure and construction of mechanical screening and disposal system. This Rural Development investment will also be used to construct a sludge dewatering and disposal system, flow meter reconstruction, chlorine disinfection system upgrades. This Rural Development investment will be used to install an underground effluent pipeline for distribution to pond 5 or Napa River outfall, electrical improvements, Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition system, site improvements, and construction of a noise-barrier wall.
- In Imperial County, more than $180 thousand is allocated to Ocotillo Mutual Water Company to install approximately 4,100 feet of eight-inch polyvinyl chloride (PVC) sewer main and install manholes along Monroe Street near the Torres-Martinez Desert Cahuilla Indian Reservation in southwestern Riverside County. The new eight-inch sewer main will be connected to an existing 33-inch sewer main, owned and operated by the Coachella Valley Water District. The new sewer main will connect a subdivision, church, and community building located within the Torres-Martinez Desert Cahuilla Indian Reservation to the existing sewer collection system operated by CVWD. The housing units and facilities that will connect to the new sewer main currently discharge sewage into septic tanks located on each property. The Torres-Martinez Desert Cahuilla Indian tribe has determined that these tanks are failing and have caused seepage of sewage to ground water and in cases sewage has been detected above ground. The proposed project will allow the Tribe to abandon the failing septic tanks and allow them to connect to CVWD's existing sewage treatment system.
- In Yolo County, $900 thousand is allocated to Rural Community Assistance Corporation to establish a revolving loan fund to repair or replace individually owned water wells or wastewater disposal systems for eligible homeowners.
- In Orange County, $90 thousand is allocated to Walking Shield American Indian Society, Inc to build the capacity of the three rural Native American Indian tribes to address critical needs associated with clean drinking water and wastewater management impacting residents living on the reservations. They will conduct a comprehensive assessment of the identified water deficiency projects with recommendations to develop action plans for solutions.
- In Sacramento County, $138 thousand is allocated to OCT Water Quality Academy to provide training to water operators and associated personnel to improve management and operation of water and wastewater disposal facilities.
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.