(UNDATED) – United States Department of Agriculture Rural Development State Director for Indiana Michael Dora today announced that the Town of West Terre Haute and the City of Salem have been awarded federal funding to improve rural water infrastructure.
USDA is investing in 40 projects in 20 states to improve rural water infrastructure.
“The two Indiana projects will have a positive impact on the rural residents, businesses, and the communities as a whole,” said Dora. “Modern community infrastructure is a foundation for enhanced quality of life and prosperity in the rural Hoosier State.”
The City of Salem was awarded USDA funds of $1,895,000 loan to improve the city of Salem’s water system. The water system is under an Agreed Order with the Indiana Department of Environmental Management for water quality violations and does not meet the capacity requirements of the Recommended Standards for Water Works. In addition, many system components are beyond their useful life. These factors pose a safety risk to employees and a health risk to customers. The project will address these health and sanitary issues by optimizing the treatment process to meet water quality regulations and replacing equipment and treatment components to achieve safety, health and capacity requirements defined by regulatory standards. The project was previously awarded a $12,888,000 loan leveraged with an applicant contribution of $383,169.
The Town of West Terre Haute was awarded USDA funds of $237,000 loan and $540,500 grant to provide additional funding to upgrade meters, lines, and mains. The project was previously awarded $4 million in loans and grants leveraged with an applicant contribution of $83,500.
Nationwide, USDA is investing $82 million through the Water and Waste Disposal Loan and Grant program. Rural communities, water districts, and other eligible entities can use the funds for drinking water, stormwater drainage, and waste disposal systems. The projects must be in rural communities with 10,000 or fewer residents.
USDA is announcing investments in Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, Washington, and West Virginia.
View the interactive RD Apply tool or contact one of USDA Rural Development’s state or field offices for application or eligibility information.
In April 2017, President Donald J. Trump established the Interagency Task Force on Agriculture and Rural Prosperity to identify legislative, regulatory and policy changes that could promote agriculture and prosperity in rural communities. In January 2018, Secretary Perdue presented the Task Force’s findings to President Trump. These findings included 31 recommendations to align the federal government with state, local and tribal governments to take advantage of opportunities that exist in rural America. Increasing investments in rural infrastructure is a key recommendation of the task force.
To view the report in its entirety, please view the Report to the President of the United States from the Task Force on Agriculture and Rural Prosperity (PDF, 5.4 MB). In addition, to view the categories of the recommendations, please view the Rural Prosperity infographic (PDF, 190 KB).
USDA Rural Development provides loans and grants to help expand economic opportunities and create jobs in rural areas. This assistance supports infrastructure improvements; business development; housing; community facilities such as schools, public safety, and health care; and high-speed internet access in rural areas. For more information, visit www.rd.usda.gov.
