Acting Assistant to the Secretary for Rural Development Joel Baxley today announced that USDA is investing $116 million to help rebuild and improve rural water infrastructure for 171,000 rural Americans in 23 states.
“Having safe and environmentally sound water and waste systems are integral parts of the community’s foundational infrastructure. These systems support residents’ quality of life and adds to the community’s economic development resources”, said Douglas Wilson, USDA Rural Development Director, Illinois. “USDA RD is proud to be a key part in helping rural areas.”
USDA is working with local partners to provide financing for 49 water and environmental infrastructure projects. The funding is being provided through the Water and Waste Disposal Loan and Grant program. It can be used for drinking water, stormwater drainage and waste disposal systems for rural communities with 10,000 or fewer residents.
Eligible communities and water districts can apply online on the interactive RD Apply tool or through one of USDA Rural Development’s state or field offices.
Below are some examples of the investments USDA is making:
- The Lick Creek Public Water District is receiving $910,300.00 of loan and grant funds, for construction of approximately 26 miles of water line, a 250,000-gallon storage tank and a pump station to serve an additional 100 customers. Once completed, the Water District will provide potable water to approximately 2,236 residents.
- The village of Windsor has received $1.9 million loan and grant funds to construct a gravity flow collection system with lift stations. A treatment plant with two covered aerated lagoons and a polishing reactor will also be constructed. The improvements will provide a more dependable sewer system to the village’s 748 residents.
USDA is making investments in rural communities in: Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Michigan, Mississippi, North Carolina, Nebraska, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas, Utah and Washington.
In April 2017, President Donald J. Trump established the Interagency Task Force on Agriculture and Rural Prosperity to identify legislative, regulatory and policy changes that could promote agriculture and prosperity in rural communities. In January 2018, Secretary Perdue presented the Task Force’s findings to President Trump. These findings included 31 recommendations to align the federal government with state, local and tribal governments to take advantage of opportunities that exist in rural America. Increasing investments in rural infrastructure is a key recommendation of the task force.
To view the report in its entirety, please view the Report to the President of the United States from the Task Force on Agriculture and Rural Prosperity (PDF, 5.4 MB). In addition, to view the categories of the recommendations, please view the Rural Prosperity infographic (PDF, 190 KB).
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.