The Trump Administration announced that the United States U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) awarded the Oglala Sioux Tribe $760,000 through Water and Waste Grant funds to install a new lift station for the Pine Ridge Community, replacing the existing system that has failed numerous times.
“This project provides reliable infrastructure for Pine Ridge and it protects the health and safety of its residents,” said Julie Gross, South Dakota USDA Rural Development State Director. “Under the leadership of President Trump and Agriculture Secretary Perdue, USDA has been working tirelessly to be a strong partner to rural South Dakota in building stronger and healthier communities, because we know when rural America thrives, all of America thrives.”
Pine Ridge is the most populous community in Oglala Lakota County, SD with a population of 3,308. It is located inside the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation and is the tribal headquarters for the Oglala Sioux Tribe.
The lift station in Pine Ridge was in very poor condition with pump failure and raw sewage discharge occurring far too often. The lift station was nearing the end of its useful life. The Oglala Sioux Tribe (OST) was in compliance with all applicable regulations, but at times the lift station pumps would fail causing environmental and health concerns.
To protect the health and safety of the residents of Pine Ridge, a new double box culvert duplex lift station, all necessary appurtenances to fully replace the existing lift station, and an emergency standby generator were installed. These improvements eliminated any further discharge and it meets the existing and future needs for pumping sewage to the water and waste treatment facility.
The federal funding was leveraged with grants from Indian Health Service (IHS) of $265,000 and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of $493,000 bringing the total project cost to $1,518,000.
Interested in USDA Rural Development programs, please contact the USDA Rural Development state office for information.
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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