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Success Stories

A mother and three daughters pose around a dining room table. There are lace curtains and blue wall in the background and some dishes on the table in the foreground.

“This is Home” – A Family Finds Their Forever Home in Calais, Maine

One of the first rooms Heather Gagne and her daughters began redecorating in their new home is the dining room, shown in the top photo. They have been busy repainting and making other updates. Raising a family in coastal Machias, Maine may sound lovely, but for Heather Gagne recent years proved stressful. There were few housing options in the Downeast community, and Heather was glad to find a rental home to…
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Search Results: 29 Stories
Man standing in front of wastewater treatment facility

Colonias Grant Brings New Wastewater Treatment Plant to Anthony, New Mexico

In southern New Mexico along the Rio Grande and the Texas border, the small City of Anthony is no stranger to the benefits of partnering with USDA Rural Development. The small community of less than 10,000 residents is a designated colonia, making it eligible for grants and… [Read More]
New Mexico
WastewaterWater
new cinderblock building

Village of Honor system upgrades help ensure effective wastewater treatment, and a healthy watershed, for generations to come

Before the Village of Honor improved its wastewater treatment system in 2022, the team that runs it dealt with frequent maintenance issues.The system, which includes a series of treatment lagoons and other structures and components that lie at the northeastern edge of the… [Read More]
Michigan
Wastewater
Overhead view of L'Anse with buildings and water

Michigan’s ‘Village by the Bay’ completes extensive project to improve wastewater services, helping to keep local waters healthy for the future

People have been visiting the area surrounding the Village of L’Anse, which means “the cove” in French, to recreate, fish, camp and enjoy the water since long before the village’s founding in the 1870s.Located in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, L’Anse offers a unique blend of… [Read More]
Michigan
Wastewater
Man standing by wastewater plant in rural area.

Regional Wastewater Hub Improves Quality of Life in Rural Ohio

In a small rural community nestled in the foothills of southeast Ohio’s Appalachian region, the city of Nelsonville recently celebrated a water infrastructure milestone with the opening of its new regional wastewater treatment facility.   Built in 1956, the original… [Read More]
Ohio
Wastewater
Smith Island, Maryland

Investing in Wastewater Infrastructure is Key to Preserving Smith Island, Maryland

For the people living on Smith Island, the water matters. But it’s about more than the beautiful views of the Chesapeake Bay from the picturesque island ten miles from the mainland. The multi‐generational residents depend on the surrounding Chesapeake Bay for their livelihoods… [Read More]
Delaware, Maryland, and District of Columbia (DC)
Wastewater
Stakeholders at West Portsmouth, Ohio, wastewater treatment plant.

Wastewater Treatment Gets Upgrade in Rural Ohio

West Portsmouth, Ohio, sitting serenely near the confluence of the Scioto and Ohio Rivers in Appalachia, now has an upgraded wastewater treatment plant.  According to J.P. Pickelsimer, Scioto County Sanitary Engineer, West Portsmouth’s treatment facility – built in the… [Read More]
Ohio
WastewaterWater
Union City, Indiana, gets upgraded Wastewater Treatment Facility thanks to USDA funding.

From Waste to Wow: Union City's Wastewater Treatment Facility Gets a USDA Boost!

In 2017, Union City, Indiana, started working on a project to upgrade its wastewater treatment facility. A visit from the Indiana Department of Environmental Management revealed that the city's treatment facility was not in compliance with several health and sanitation policies… [Read More]
Indiana
Wastewater
Mt. Jackson equalization basin under construction

Zen and the Art of Wastewater Treatment Plant Maintenance

Balance is key to maintaining the health of humans and ecosystems but is an often-overlooked aspect of wastewater treatment. When the Mount Jackson, Va., plant went online in 2010, operators soon discovered that they had to make constant adjustments to maintain equilibrium. The… [Read More]
Virginia
Wastewater
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… [Read More]
Wisconsin
BioeconomyBiomassWastewaterWater
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]
Oregon
Community FacilitiesDisasterWastewaterWater

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