Hyde-Smith announces $10.9 million in USDA funds for water & wastewater upgrades in rural Mississippi

DeSoto, Grenada, Perry and Pike Counties receive USDA Rural Development Loan/Grant Awards for projects. 

Today, U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith announced the approval of $10.9 million in U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development funding to improve water and wastewater systems for four rural Mississippi communities.

Projects in DeSoto, Grenada, Perry, and Pike counties will benefit from USDA Water and Waste Disposal Loan and Grant Program funding. This program provides funding for clean and reliable drinking water systems as well as sanitary sewage disposal, sanitary solid waste disposal, and storm water drainage to households and businesses in eligible rural areas.

Areas that may be served include through the program include rural areas and towns with populations of 10,000 or less, trial lands in rural areas, and colonias.

Funds may be used to finance the acquisition, construction or improvement of:

• Drinking water sourcing, treatment, storage and distribution
• Sewer collection, transmission, treatment and disposal
• Solid waste collection, disposal and closure
• Storm water collection, transmission and disposal

Last year, the USDA approved $8.26 million for water system upgrades for systems in Adams, Claiborne, Forrest, Prentiss, and Union counties.

“I’m pleased to see USDA Rural Development advance public utility projects for the residents in these Mississippi communities.  The improvements these investments will support should ensure more reliable water and wastewater services, which are quality of life requirements,” said Hyde-Smith, who serves on the Senate Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee.

These are FY2021 grants for Mississippi:

• Nesbit Water Association, Inc., Nesbit – $5,150,000 loan to replace an aging water treatment plant, reactivate three idle wells, construct a 500,000 gallon elevated water storage tank, and install enhanced water distribution piping.
• City of Grenada – $2,069,000 loan and $1,400,000 grant to construct a 400-gallon per minute permanent water well, install chlorination, phosphate feeder, and fluoridation, 125 kilowatt generator, 200,000 gallon elevated storage tank, distribution lines, and related accessories.
• Janice Water System Association, Inc., Brooklyn – $331,000 loan and $446,000 grant to install new automatic-read meters throughout the north and south system and add a 100,000 gallon elevated storage tank in the north system.
• Friendship Community Water System, Inc., McComb – $1,511,500 loan to facilitate construction of a new central water treatment plant at well site number three to provide additional source of clean water for customers.