Including projects in Alto de Las Flores, Cottonwood Rural Water Association, Grants, and Williamsburg, N.M.

WASHINGTON, Aug. 3, 2020 – The Trump Administration today announced that the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is investing $462 million to modernize critical drinking water and wastewater infrastructure in rural towns and cities.

“Upgrading the infrastructure that delivers safe drinking water and modern wastewater management facilities will improve public health and drive economic development in our small towns and cities,” Rural Development Deputy Under Secretary Bette Brand said. “Under the leadership of President Trump and Agriculture Secretary Perdue, USDA continues to be a strong partner with rural communities, because we know that when rural America thrives, all of America thrives.”

USDA Rural Development state director Blake Curtis agreed by saying, “By providing safe healthy water we are ensuring those living rural New Mexico will have good health. We are also providing the added benefit that better economic opportunities are available when a community can show it can welcome new residents with clean water.”

Background:
This USDA funding announcement will see 161 projects through the Water and Waste Disposal Loan and Grant Program being funded across the nation. These investments will benefit 467,000 residents. The projects being funded in New Mexico include:

• This Rural Development investment will be used to provide $730,000 in a loan and grant financing package to complete the water project at the Alto De las Flores Mutual Domestic Water Consumers Association located six miles north of Ruidoso, New Mexico. The funding will complete the renovation of a water well and water line extensions along with distribution line upgrades. This additional funding, in conjunction with a previous obligated funding package through Rural Development and the State Leveraging Funding will pay for the $4,136,498 water project. The upgraded water system will address the community's health risk issue because of the high concentration of iron and manganese which produces an unpleasant odor and unacceptable quality of drinking water.
• The Cottonwood Rural Water Association near Artesia, New Mexico will receive a $4-milliion loan and grant funding to upgrade its water system. The improvements will include the replacement of existing undersized distribution lines for future growth and to provide enough water for fire-fighting flow. The funding will also pay for the installation of fire hydrants and will upgrade service meters along the proposed distribution line upgrades. These funds will also be used to acquire approximately 50 acre-feet of water rights that will allow for anticipated growth in the area. The funding will also pay for other needed equipment to provide better water service to the 608 residential and 23 commercial users.
• A $4.9 million dollar wastewater improvement project for the city of Grants will pay for the replacement of wastewater lines throughout the city of Grants and surrounding area. By doing so, the new pipelines will eliminate the risk for ground water contamination due to the old and faulty pipelines.
• A $1.2 million dollar investment will be used to improve and expand the existing wastewater delivery system in village of Williamsburg, New Mexico. This is a much-needed extensive upgrade of the village's sewer line delivery system because the sewer system is in bad need of repair and replacement. Issues include the backup of sewage in the sewer lines in residential neighborhoods. The existing wastewater system was built in the 1940's with a small expansion made in the early 2000's. The village of Williamsburg applied for the funding because the old sewer lines are failing. There’s a concern the deteriorated sewer lines could lead to the leaching of sewage into the groundwater which could make its way to the Rio Grande. When completed the project will benefit the existing 229 residential homes and 17 commercial users.

The investments that USDA announced today are being made in Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Vermont, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
To learn more about investment resources for rural areas, interested parties should contact their USDA Rural Development state office.

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.