Assistant to the Secretary for Rural Development Anne Hazlett announced on September 17 the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Office of Rural Development is investing $392 million in a range of projects in rural areas centered on improving rural water and wastewater infrastructure. Several of the awarded projects will fund the drilling of wells.
A total of 120 projects will receive funding through the USDA’s Water and Wastewater Loan and Grant program, supporting communities with fewer than 10,000 residents.
The types of projects funded include drilling of wells to increase or improve water supply, increasing wellfield capacity, and well rehabilitation and replacement, among other activities. A full list of projects is available here.
States which will receive funding for rural water infrastructure projects are Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, West Virginia, and Wyoming.
NGWA advocates for increased support of this program each year, including at the annual Groundwater Fly-In, and this year’s funding level is at an historic level.
NGWA’s 2019 Groundwater Fly-In will take place March 6-7 in Washington, D.C. Stay tuned to NGWA.org for additional details and how you can register to attend.