In May 2018, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced plans to invest $256 million towards the improvement of water infrastructure in rural communities. The funding, which will be spread across 81 projects, will provide aid to recipients in 35 states across the country.
The funding was announced by the Assistant to the Secretary for Rural Development Anne Hazlett, who emphasized equality in the dissemination of water infrastructure funding.
“No matter what zip code you live in, infrastructure is a foundation for quality of life and economic opportunity,” Hazlett said. “Through strong partnerships, USDA is ensuring that rural communities have the modern, reliable infrastructure they need to prosper.”
The specifics of the undertaking are now beginning to take clearer form as more and more announcements of project sites are being announced. All the loans given through this array of projects will be sourced from USDA’s Water and Waste Disposal Loan and Grant program.
Beyond this significant cash injection, rural communities are continuing to hold out hope for even further government aid, as President Trump announced that his $200 billion infrastructure investment bill would allocate 25% of its funding to further rural projects.
