DES MOINES, Iowa, July 31, 2018 – Assistant to the Secretary for Rural Development Anne Hazlett announced a historic commitment by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to upgrade and rebuild rural water infrastructure. Three of those projects will help improve water infrastructure in the rural Iowa communities of Adel, Brayton and Goodell.  

Eligible rural communities and water districts can apply online for funding to maintain, modernize or build water and wastewater systems. They can visit the interactive RD Apply tool, or they can apply through one of USDA Rural Development’s state or field offices.

USDA is providing the funding through the Water and Waste Disposal Loan and Grant program. It can be used to finance drinking water, storm water drainage and waste disposal systems for rural communities with 10,000 or fewer residents.

The City of Adel will be using a $16,603,000 loan and a $2,302,000 grant to improve its drinking water system. Improvements include adding two raw water supply wells, a transmission main, water mains, a water treatment plant, additional capacity to the booster station, and a backup power supply. Approximately 3,682 residents will benefit from this project. 

The City of Brayton will be using a $451,000 loan and a $318,000 grant to replace the distribution system and replace individual service lines to connect users to the city’s system. These improvements will update the community’s aging water infrastructure and improve services to residents and businesses. The city, population 128, received a $16,000 USDA Rural Development grant in 2017 to complete an engineering study of its water system. This project is a direct result of that study and implements the recommendations outlined in the report.

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.