MORGANTOWN, May 11, 2023 – U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development West Virginia State Director Ryan Thorn is inviting applications for partnerships to ensure rural people have access to clean drinking water and modern wastewater systems.
USDA is making grants available under two different programs with similar objectives but differing eligible groups. Nonprofit organizations may apply for funding to create lending programs to help rural homeowners build, refurbish, and service water wells and individually owned household wastewater systems. In a separate program, private nonprofits can apply for funding to help public entities build and improve water and wastewater disposal systems in rural areas. Both programs are designed for grant recipients to create revolving loan funds for water and wastewater needs in rural areas.
“Clean, safe and efficient water infrastructure is something every West Virginian should have access to,” said Thorn. “Partnering with local organizations to improve the quality of life for our rural communities is at the heart of what we do at Rural Development.”
Applicants to the Rural Decentralized Water Systems Grant Program may receive grants to provide up to $15,000 in loans and sub-grant funds to homeowners. Applicants to the Revolving Funds for Financing Water and Wastewater Projects program may provide up to $200,000 in loans to finance water and wastewater projects.
Applications for the Rural Decentralized Water Systems Grant Program must be submitted electronically using Grants.gov no later than 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on June 10, 2023. Applications for the Revolving Funds for Financing Water and Wastewater Projects Program must be submitted electronically using Grants.gov no later than 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on June 10, 2023.
USDA is particularly interested in applications to both programs that will advance Biden Administration priorities to:
- Ensure all rural residents have equitable access to Rural Development (RD) programs and benefits from RD-funded projects; and
- Help rural communities recover economically through more and better market opportunities and through improved infrastructure.
- Reduce climate pollution and increase resilience to the impacts of climate change through economic support to rural communities.
Additional information on these key priorities is available at https://www.rd.usda.gov/priority-points.
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