U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development (USDA-RD) Alaska State Director Jim Nordlund today announced that a $4.8 million loan and a $3.5 million grant has been awarded to the City of Palmer to upgrade its current wastewater system. Funding for this project comes through USDA-RD’s Water and Waste Disposal Loans and Grants Program.
“Today’s announcement represents the continuation of a long-standing commitment by USDA-RD to improve and mitigate sanitation and public health conditions to Alaska’s rural communities. The City of Palmer residents will soon have timely, much-needed upgrades to their wastewater system,” said Nordlund.
The project funding for system upgrade includes incorporating a Moving Bed Biofilm Reactor (MBBR). The MBBR process is a state-of-the-art fixed-film biological process used for municipal and industrial wastewater treatment, which will ultimately ameliorate the existing wastewater treatment system in Palmer.
For more information, please contact Tasha Deardorff, Director, USDA-RD Alaska Sanitation Programs at: (907) 271-2424, Ext. 118, or tasha.deardorff@ak.usda.gov.
From 2009 – 2016, USDA-RD Alaska, has invested $2.16 billion in 236 rural Alaskan communities. These investments include project funding for housing, community facilities, business, energy, sanitation, telecom and electric. This financial backing has helped to cultivate rural Alaska’s economy and enhance the quality of life for its rural residents.