Rural Development Acting State Director KayLyn Nerby today announced emergency water assistance funding to the town of Fayette, improving the town’s access to clean water. The $444,100 grant will help the town dig a new well and allow them to shut down a contaminated source.
“No community is immune to the problems that accompany years of drought,” said Nerby. “This assistance is in place to ensure that even our smallest communities like Fayette have reliable and safe drinking water.”
Central Utah has experienced years of drought conditions, making available water scarce. The town of Fayette relied on just one spring and a series of wells as a backup source of water until 2011 when the spring started to dry up. This problem led to the town’s aquifer losing positive pressure, allowing contaminants to reach the town’s water supply. To drill a new well, and construct its accompanying building the town is awarded the grant under the Emergency Community Water Assistance Grant (ECWAG) program.
Today’s announcement is part of USDA’s Earth Day celebration of the agency’s investment in rural water and wastewater systems. The ECWAG program, one of USDA Rural Development’s Water and Environmental Programs, helps eligible communities prepare, or recover from, an emergency that threatens the availability of safe, reliable drinking water. Tribal lands, as well as rural areas and towns with populations of 10,000 or less, are eligible to apply.
View USDA Rural Development’s Utah 2016 Progress Report to see specific program totals and to read about local success stories