Michigan Ag Connection - USDA Invests in Water, Wastewater Management in Rural Michigan

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USDA Invests in Water, Wastewater Management in Rural Michigan
Michigan Ag Connection - 11/20/2019

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Deputy Under Secretary for Rural Development Donald "DJ" LaVoy Tuesday announced that the department is investing $635 million in 122 projects to improve water systems and wastewater handling services in rural communities in 42 states. USDA is funding the projects through the Water and Waste Disposal Loan and Grant program.

"These investments will bring reliable infrastructure to rural communities. They will replace old, fragile, leaking water pipes with new ones and allow upgrades to water handling systems that are decades old, boosting water pressure and cutting water losses. Working with our partners, these investments create jobs and improve public health and safety," LaVoy said. "Under the leadership of President Trump and Agriculture Secretary Perdue, USDA is committed to partnering with rural communities to help them improve their infrastructure, because when rural America thrives, all of America thrives."

Eligible applicants include rural cities, towns and water districts. The funds can be used for drinking water, stormwater drainage and waste disposal systems in rural communities that meet population limits.

"The value of these investments extends far beyond the local communities," said USDA Rural Development State Director for Michigan Jason Allen. "Clean ground water and safe drinking water benefit everyone in Michigan."

Below are Michigan water and wastewater projects in rural communities that will receive funding:

- The Lakewood Wastewater Authority, in Ionia County, will use a $2,418,000 loan and $1,048,000 grant to install a new, higher-capacity forcemain from the authority's pump station 16 to the wastewater treatment plant to meet current environmental standards. The sewer system serves the Village of Lake Odessa, Village of Woodland, Odessa Township, and Woodland Township with a total 1,198 residential and 146 commercial customers.

- The Village of Alpha, in Iron County, will use a $197,000 loan and $590,000 grant to make water system improvements. The project includes 2,850 linear feet of watermain replacement, rehabilitating two wells, replacing water treatment plant filter media, and improvements on the elevated water storage to improve water quality and alleviate freezing problems during the winter. In addition, the village will replace 30-year-old water meters and the monitoring system. The village serves 115 residential and 12 commercial customers.

- The Charter Township of Oshtemo, in Kalamazoo County, will use a $19,482,000 loan to extend the sewer collection system to other unserved areas of the township. After a complete buildout of this sewer collection system, there will be a total of 898 new residential and commercial customers. These customers currently have on-site septic systems many of which do not meet current standards. After expansion, there will be 1,827 residential and 688 commercial users served by this system.

- The Village of Roscommon, in Roscommon County, will use $2,869,000 in loans and $8,163,000 in grants to improve both water and sewer systems. The sewer project will replace 1,100 feet of sanitary sewer, cure in place another 2 miles of sanitary sewer, repair service wyes and manholes, televise the collection system during a "wet" to observe any other issues, repair and replace lift stations, and clean and dispose of accumulated lagoon sludge. The water project will replace more than a mile of aging undersized watermain, eliminate dead ends by looping watermains, and replace two parallel redundant watermains with a more efficient 12-inch watermain. All three well pumps will be replaced with monitoring systems, and the village will install interior meter pits, and purchase water meters with new software and hardware. The systems will serve 346 residential and 144 commercial users.

- The Village of Mayville, in Tuscola County, will use a $5,241,000 loan and $1,919,000 grant to upgrade the sewer collection and treatment system, which was constructed prior to 1970. The project includes 235 feet of cured-in-place pipelining, 1,285 feet of sewer replacement, manhole repairs, the replacement of two pump stations, upgrades to one pump station, the rehabilitation of two lagoon cells, and the construction of a third. The sewer system serves 333 residential and 75 commercial users.

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