Agriculture Department to offer $344m for water and wastewater projects in US

US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced a $30m investment for quality improvements in Mississippi River Basin and allowed loans and grants of $314m for water and wastewater infrastructure improvements in rural communities.

The agency intends to spend $30m this year through its Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) for 33 new projects and 40 existing projects to improve water quality in high priority watersheds in the Mississippi River Basin.

The USDA supported projects under NRCS’ Mississippi River Basin Healthy Watersheds Initiative (MRBI) are aimed at bringing down the nutrient and sediment losses to water which gradually flows into the Gulf of Mexico.

USDA secretary Tom Vilsack said: "By targeting small priority watersheds within the Mississippi River basin, we are helping to deliver local water quality benefits and contributing to large-scale improvements for the Basin as a whole.

"Water quality is important to everyone, at all levels of government, to private landowners, and in rural and urban areas alike.

The many partnerships created through this initiative are both impressive and promising to the future of these watersheds."

Additionally, the agency has allowed $314m in loans and grants for 141 projects, which will develop and better water and wastewater infrastructure in rural communities across the country.

While $299m of the total amount will be forwarded to 88 projects under the Water and Waste Disposal Loan and Grant Program, remaining $15m will be offered as 53 grants under USDA’s Emergency Community Water Assistance Grant (ECWAG) program.

Vilsack said: "Many rural communities need to upgrade and repair their water and wastewater systems, but often lack the resources to do so.

"These loans and grants will help accomplish this goal. USDA’s support for infrastructure improvements is an essential part of building strong rural economies."