June 18, 2013

Manchin, Rockefeller, Rahall Announce USDA Project Funding for Water and Wastewater Infrastructure

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Joe Manchin and Jay Rockefeller, along with U.S. Rep. Nick Rahall (all D-W.Va.), Tuesday announced the award of nearly $2.5 million in federal grant and loan monies for water infrastructure in Mingo County.

“Making sure that West Virginians have access to clean, safe water is critical to the health and wellbeing of our children, our families and our communities,” Manchin said. “It is important to invest in projects like these to make sure people across our great state are connected to basic necessities of life, especially water. I will continue to work to make these commonsense infrastructure investments a reality.”

“Investing taxpayer dollars in clean drinkable water projects is essential to improving the health and quality of life of our communities, as well as attracting new businesses and job opportunities.  When we invest in Mingo County, we are investing in the long-term economic competitiveness of America,” said Rahall, top Democrat on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.

“With the first day of summer fast approaching, we are reminded that clean drinking water is critical to the health and safety of our communities particularly in the coming months,” said Rockefeller. “This grant from the USDA will give hundreds of Mingo County residents reliable year-round access to this vital natural resource.”

The funding includes a $1.5 million low-interest loan and a $991,000 grant provided by the USDA Rural Development to the Mingo County Public Service District for the Ben Creek Phase I project to provide water and fire protection service to approximately 250 additional households in the Left Fork of Ben Creek area within the Magnolia and Stafford Magisterial Districts of the County.  The majority of residents within the project area currently rely on wells, springs, and cisterns as their only source of water.  Many of these private water sources are contaminated with pathogens due to poorly constructed or malfunctioning septic systems in the area.  Construction will consist of approximately 11 miles of new waterline, one water storage tank, and one booster station.

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