Hawai‘i Receives Over $15 M in Water & Wastewater Infrastructure

The USDA is investing $1.2 billion to help rebuild and improve rural water infrastructure for 936,000 rural Americans living in 46 states, Assistant to the Secretary for Rural Development Anne Hazlett today announced on Dec. 4, 2018.

“Access to water is a key driver for economic opportunity and quality of life in rural communities,” Hazlett said. “Under the leadership of Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, USDA is committed to being a strong partner to rural communities in building prosperity through modern water infrastructure.”

USDA is providing financing for 234 water and environmental infrastructure projects through the Water and Waste Disposal Loan and Grant program. The funding can be used for drinking water, stormwater drainage and waste disposal systems for rural communities with 10,000 or fewer residents.

Eligible communities and water districts can apply online on the interactive RD Apply tool, or they can apply through one of USDA Rural Development’s state or field offices.

USDA is investing in two projects with the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands:

A $4.1 million loan and $1,999,946 grant will be used to upgrade and improve the Anahola Farm Lots Water System on Kaua‘i. Renovations will be made to the storage reservoir, pump house, emergency support system and connection meters. New controls and security will be installed. The system serves 77 residential and agricultural lots . The new system is expected to serve 83 residential and agricultural lots. This upgrade will impact 257 people who use the system.

A $7,455,000 loan and a $1,592,333 grant will help make improvements to the Ho‘olehua water system (PWS No. 230) on the island of Moloka‘i. This project will develop a one megawatt Photovoltaic system to be built on approximately nine acres adjacent to the existing well site. As well, it will install a 1,000 gallon above ground fuel storage tank. The project will eliminate the need to purchase power and increase back-up energy capabilities& system reliability during emergency conditions for the 626 system users.

USDA is making investments in rural communities in: Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawai‘i, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin and West Virginia.

In April 2017, President Donald J. Trump established the Interagency Task Force on Agriculture and Rural Prosperity to identify legislative, regulatory and policy changes that could promote agriculture and prosperity in rural communities. In January 2018, Secretary Perdue presented the Task Force’s findings to President Trump. These findings included 31 recommendations to align the federal government with state, local and tribal governments to take advantage of opportunities that exist in rural America. Increasing investments in rural infrastructure is a key recommendation of the task force.

To view the report in its entirety, view the Report to the President of the United States from the Task Force on Agriculture and Rural Prosperity (PDF, 5.4 MB).

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 services such as schools, public safety and health care; and high-speed internet access in rural areas. For more information, visit www.rd.usda.gov.