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Success Stories

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World Water Day logo

A Water Legacy in La Union MDSWA

Driving south bound with the Organ Mountains to my left you expect to see many things. Pecan farms, and Dairy farms sure, but also the beauty of southern New Mexico. If you continue on to Anthony NM, you will stumble onto a gem. Rural Development (RD) is no stranger to the area… [Read More]
7 people standing in front of water tank

USDA Rural Development Helps Community Access Clean Water For The First Time After Five Months

You would be forgiven for thinking that October 17th was just another ordinary day for the fifteen households of the Mt. Rose Bowl subdivision, hidden by dense forest between a ski resort and a sleepaway camp in Northern Nevada. But Sally Sue Broili vividly remembers letting out… [Read More]
Water filtration system inside new building

Bringing Safe, Reliable Water to Rural Montana Town

In the shadow of central Montana’s Crazy Mountains sits Wilsall, a picturesque community of 200 rural residents who – with a little help from USDA Rural Development – now have a safe, reliable water supply. Nearly six years ago, the Montana Department of Environmental Quality (… [Read More]
Two people standing in front of a water tank and water truck

USDA Grant Provides Water to Drought Struck Community

When we turn on the water faucet in our homes, most of us take for granted that water will pour out. It seems almost unimaginable to think that there might be a time when water would not flow. But three years ago, this situation became a reality for residents of a small… [Read More]
Group photo of Frenchtown, NJ, community with RD NJ staff at a groundbreaking event.

Invasions and Investments Keep Jersey Town Afloat

For the last 20 years, one small New Jersey town nestled along the bank of the Delaware River spends an entire weekend preparing for something you’d pull out of an adventure book – an all-out Viking invasion. Hundreds of locals line the water’s edge as the river’s current… [Read More]
Photo of a freshly paved East Washington Street in Gillett, Wisconsin

City of Gillett Paves the Way for State Highway Reconstruction

Whether we like it or not, orange barrel season is right around the corner in Wisconsin. Roads across the state will soon come under construction and orange barrels will pop up like bulbs in the garden. Depending on the type of project, communities can prepare in advance for… [Read More]
Mni Waste water tower in Eagle Butte, SD

Delivering mni wašté to residents of Cheyenne River Reservation

The Lakota phrase mni wasté translates to mean good water, which is what Mni Wasté Water Company’s 13 staff strive to deliver to the residents of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe and surrounding area every day. Leo ‘Earp’ Fischer is the director of the water company. He’s been… [Read More]
An aerial view of a glowing greenhouse at the Waupun Wastewater Treatment Facility.

From Your House to Greenhouse, Waupun Wastewater Facility Celebrates New, Advanced Technology

In May 2021, a groundbreaking was held at the Waupun Wastewater Treatment Facility to mark the start of construction on a new Advanced Biological Nutrient Recovery (ABNR) system. Roughly 140 days later, attendees of the 2023 Algae Biomass Summit, the largest gathering of… [Read More]
A water treatment facility at Seal Rock, Oregon.

Collaboration and Climate Resilience: Seal Rock Water District Finds A New Source

Seal Rock’s drinking water was in danger. For nearly 50 years, Seal Rock Water District (SRWD) relied on water purchased from the nearby town of Toledo, Oregon. The water could only be delivered through a 7-mile-long, underground pipeline. Already prone to landslides and… [Read More]
Town officials conferring with an RD staffer at the wastewater treatment plant site.

Taming an Energy Hog to Support a Growing Community in Elkton

Wastewater treatment is one of those services that most folks only think about when something goes wrong. In Elkton, Va., the quaint brick manholes of this scenic Shenandoah Valley community were covering a simmering issue with the sewer lines below. The treatment plant was… [Read More]