DAVIS, Calif. Aug. 28, 2023 – U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development California State Director Maria Gallegos Herrera today announced investments in two rural California communities to improve water infrastructure.
“When we invest in modernizing California’s rural water infrastructure we’re investing in community resilience and stability,” said Gallegos Herrera. “The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to strengthening rural water infrastructure, as demonstrated through today’s investments.”
North San Joaquin Water Conservation District in San Joaquin County will use a $1 million grant to make repairs and upgrades to the District’s irrigation system. The investment will help make critical improvements to upstream level control, gates, and flow meters to meet delivery needs and support effective, safe groundwater management. This investment is funded through USDA’s Community Facilities Program.
Squaw Valley Mutual Water Company in Placer County will use a $723,000 loan to replacing aging water lines and substandard water infrastructure to provide quality water to its rural customers in northwestern Olympic Valley. USDA is making this investment through the Water and Waste Disposal Direct Loan and Grant Program.
The funding announced today advances President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, a key pillar of Bidenomics, to grow the American economy from the middle-out and bottom up – from rebuilding our nation’s infrastructure, to driving over $500 billion in private sector manufacturing and clean energy investments in the United States, to creating good-paying jobs and building a clean-energy economy that will combat climate change and make our communities more resilient.
Today’s announcement is part of a national release in which Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced $808 million for projects to benefit nearly 480,000 people in 36 states and two U.S. territories while building and strengthening rural infrastructure and creating good-paying jobs.
To learn more about investment resources for rural areas, visit www.rd.usda.gov or contact the USDA Rural Development California state office.
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. For more information, visit www.rd.usda.gov/ca. To subscribe to USDA Rural Development updates, visit our GovDelivery subscriber page.