The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that the USDA is investing $307 million to modernize rural drinking water and wastewater infrastructure in 34 states and Puerto Rico.
“Every community needs safe, reliable and modern water and wastewater systems,” said Vilsack in the USDA news release. “The consequences of decades of disinvestment in physical infrastructure have fallen most heavily on communities of color. This is why USDA is investing in water infrastructure in rural and Tribal communities that need it most – to help them build back better, stronger and more equitably than ever before.”
The projects will be financed through the Water and Waste Disposal Loan and Grant Program, which according to USDA, provides funding for: clean and reliable drinking water systems; sanitary sewage disposal; sanitary solid waste disposal; and storm water drainage to households and businesses in eligible rural areas.
