USDA to support 71 rural water and wastewater infrastructure projects across 29 states through the $192m loan which will be distributed through the Water and Waste Disposal Loan and Grant programme
Image: USDA investing $192m in 29 states to improve water infrastructure. Photo: Courtesy of crazyhorse/FreeImages.com.
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) is all set to invest £151m in 71 projects to improve rural water and wastewater infrastructure, across 29 states in the country.
USDA stated that the investment will be made available to the projects through the Water and Waste Disposal Loan and Grant programme. Rural communities, water districts and other eligible entities can use the funding to improve drinking water, stormwater drainage and waste disposal systems in rural communities with 10,000 or fewer residents.
The states in which this programme will be available include Alabama, Arkansas, California, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin and West Virginia.
USDA to announce additional investment
With the Congress appropriating £2.2bn for Water and Environmental Program loans and grants, the USDA is expected to announce additional funding in the coming weeks.
Some of the projects that will receive funding under through the department’s Water and Waste Disposal Loan and Grant programme include the city of Apalachicola, Florida. Apalachicola will receive £372947 loan and a £0.9m grant to improve its central water system treatment facility, which serves 1,463 customers. The filtration processes will be upgraded to reduce disinfection byproducts levels in the treated water.
The second project is in the city of Sigourney, Iowa, with a population of 2,059. The city will receive £3.09m loan to update its wastewater treatment system. The loan amount will used to buy a back-up generator, install new aeration system and build a submerged, activated growth reactor system.
These improvements will enable the system to meet new ammonia limits set by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.
Mullan, Idaho, with a population of 783, will receive funding to upgrade 14,500 feet of mainline sewers and in replacing 103 manholes. The project is expected to improve environment by removing bypasses and untreated wastewater. It will prevent sinkholes and eliminate hazards to which city crews are exposed, while repairing deficient manholes.