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USDA Invests in Water and Wastewater Infrastructure in Arkansas

Name
Karen Petrus
City
Little Rock
Release Date

USDA is providing financing for 234 water and environmental infrastructure projects through the Water and Waste Disposal Loan and Grant program. The funding 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 they can apply through one of USDA Rural Development’s state or field offices.

Below are some examples of the investments USDA is making:

• The Mount Olive Water Association will receive a $1.7 million loan and a $6.0 million grant to fund a water extension project in southern Madison County to serve an additional 223 users.

• The City of Pleasant Plains will receive a $1.2 million loan and a $3.4 million grant to be used to construct a city-wide public sewer system for 159 users.  The project will alleviate a public health hazard.

• The Pfeiffer Public Water Authority will receive a $1.4 million loan to be used to replace the Pfeiffer Water Authority’s deteriorating water lines and make other system improvements for the authority’s 1,432 customers.

• The City of Tontitown will use a $700,000 loan to provide additional financing for the city of Tontitown’s new elevated water storage tank.  This project will benefit 1,148 residential customers and 276 non-residential customers.

USDA is making investments in rural communities in: Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin and West Virginia. 

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 services such as schools, public safety and health care; and high-speed internet access in rural areas. For more information, visit www.rd.usda.gov.