U.S. Department of Agriculture Ohio Rural Development State Director David L. Hall today announced rural communities in five Ohio counties – Gallia, Hancock, Holmes, Scioto, and Wood – will benefit from water and wastewater infrastructure investments totaling $18,988,000.
“The health and wellbeing of Ohio’s rural communities begins with foundational infrastructure such as this,” said Hall. “Rural leaders understand Ohio families simply can’t thrive without access to clean water and functional wastewater treatment. These system modernizations and upgrades also help bolster economic development by attracting and keeping business and manufacturing in rural areas.
“Under the leadership of President Trump and Agriculture Secretary Perdue, USDA continues to be a strong partner to rural communities, because we know that when rural America thrives, all of America thrives.”
Ohio projects:
- In Holmes County, a combined $3,421,000 loan and grant will be used to construct a 75,000 gallon-per-day wastewater treatment plant and gravity-based sanitary sewer extension to serve the unincorporated area of Winesburg. Originally built in the 1980s, the current plant is burdened with operational challenges, and inflows regularly exceed the current 15,000-gallons-per-day capacity.
- In Gallia County, the village of Rio Grande will use its combined $2,468,000 loan and grant to make improvements to its 84-year-old wastewater treatment facility, which serves the village, along with 50 customers from the nearby community of Centerville.
- In Scioto County, a combined $3,200,000 loan and grant will be used to offset the cost of improving wastewater treatment facilities in West Portsmouth and Purtee Acres. West Portsmouth will construct an additional biomass treatment basin as its primary basin undergoes maintenance, and funds will help Purtee Acres replace its aged, steel package plant, which is in need of overall modernization.
- Northwestern Water & Sewer District will use its combined $4,900,000 loan and grant to replace the water treatment system for the village of McComb, located in Hancock County. Ultimately, the existing plant, which is under Ohio EPA Findings and Orders, will be decommissioned. In addition to servicing McComb system users, the expansion will extend to about 60 other users along the pipeline route. This project also includes the creation of a Harmful Algal Bloom general plan for the system, which is located in the Western Lake Erie Basin Watershed.
- In a separate project, Northwestern Water & Sewer District will use a $4,900,000 loan to improve the Henry County Water System, which recently merged with the Northwestern District. The system currently provides water to customers in the villages of McClure and Liberty Center, and receives water from the city of Napoleon. With this project, the District will switch its primary water intake from Napoleon to Bowling Green. The Northwestern Water & Sewer District serves customers in Wood, Henry, Sandusky, and Hancock counties.
In addition to Ohio, today’s announcement includes investments totaling $891 million in 43 states that will positively impact about 787,000 rural residents, businesses, and manufacturers.
USDA Rural Development provides loans and grants to help expand economic opportunities and create jobs 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 areas. For more information, visit www.rd.usda.gov.
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