WASHINGTON- Senator Chuck Grassley today said that the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Office of Rural Development has awarded a $3,106,000 loan and a $1,807,000 grant to Iowa Lakes Regional Water in Spencer through the Water and Waste Disposal Loan and Grant program.
“This funding will help provide important water and wastewater infrastructure to rural communities in northwest Iowa,” Grassley said.
Iowa Lakes Regional Water will use the money to expand and improve the water system in Buena Vista, Clay, Dickinson, Emmet, Palo Alto and Pocahontas counties. Iowa Lakes Regional Water will add approximately 120 new customers to the existing water system, purchase a new well site, upgrade SCADA/IT equipment and increase water supplies.
The Water and Waste Disposal Loan and Grant program provides funding to develop water and waste disposal systems, including solid waste disposal and storm drainage, in rural areas and towns with a population not in excess of 10,000.
Each year, thousands of local Iowa organizations, colleges and universities, individuals and state agencies apply for competitive grants and loans from the federal government. The funding is then awarded based on each local organization or individual’s ability to meet criteria set by the federal entity.