August 8, 2016 – USDA Rural Development State Director Bill McGowan announced a USDA Rural Development grant for $500,000 that provides the gap financing needed to allow Selbyville to construct a new water treatment plant.
The Town has been dealing with methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) contamination in several of their primary drinking wells. MTBE is a chemical additive to gasoline to help it burn cleaner and aid in the air we breathe. The source of the contamination remains unknown and in order for the town to fix the problem a new water treatment facility is under construction with the support of state and federal funds.
EPA provides funding to Delaware to support the Department of Public Health’s Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF). The $2,750,300 from DWSRF for the construction of the new water treatment plant was not enough to cover the total project costs. The State funding is one-hundred percent loan forgiveness and the grant funding from USDA provides that no additional debt will be placed on the community.
“One of the most fundamental needs we have is access to safe drinking water,” said State Director McGowan. “USDA Rural Development partners with federal and state agencies to ensure that financial resources are available for communities that have urgent health and safety concerns. It is part of our work to improve the quality of life in rural America.”
Scientists from DNREC’s Tank Management Section and Groundwater Protection Program provided technical assistance investigating the source of the contamination and recommending locations for new town wells. DNREC awarded a Hazardous Substance Cleanup Act Program grant of $123,700 to Selbyville for the design of the system that will remove MTBE and other compounds from the town’s drinking water.
USDA’s Emergency Community Water Assistance Grant Program is designed to assist rural communities that have experienced a significant decline in the quantity and quality of the water available.
Since 2009, USDA Rural Development has invested $1.3 billion in rural Delaware for affordable housing opportunities, infrastructure improvements, for job creation and expansion, and essential community facilities and services. For more information, visit www.rd.usda.gov/de