USDA Rural Development provides critical funding for water and wastewater utilities in Rural America. USDA RD also funds the NRWA Circuit Rider program, the Wastewater Technician program, and the Energy Efficiency Circuit Rider program.
GREEN SPRINGS, W.V – When the Central Hampshire County Public Service District was having problems filling the water tanks that serviced the town of Green Springs, they contacted the West Virginia Rural Water Association for assistance. Rural Water quickly discovered the utility was facing a more serious problem, and provided the assistance to restore the… Read more »
WAYNESBORO, Miss. – After two years of staff turnover and political changes, the City of Waynesboro, Miss. contacted the Mississippi Rural Water Association for assistance with training new employees. Robby Mayfield, a MRWA training specialist, visited the utility to provide on-site training for Joe Zaydel, the Public Works Director and Josh West, a certified system… Read more »
DELL RAPIDS, S.D. – When the town of Colton started testing positive for trihalomethanes the utility called the South Dakota Association of Rural Water Systems for assistance. “The water has shown the potential to produce DBPs because it contains a significant amount of organic carbon,” explained SDARWS Training Specialist James Zeck. “Since they started using… Read more »
MIDAS, Nev. – When the Midas Water Cooperative in rural Elko County, Nev. tested positive for total coliform in repeated samples, they contacted the Nevada Rural Water Association for assistance. Aaron Hughes, a training specialist with the Nevada Rural Water Association, visited Midas to help inspect and disinfect the system. “I started by conducting a… Read more »
GILMAN, Vt. – When the paper mill in Gilman, Vt. closed, the wastewater plant took a double hit – first from lost revenue of such a large wastewater customer and then from the economic downturn of hundreds of lost jobs. A decade of assistance from the Vermont Rural Water Association has saved the utility over… Read more »
ELBOW LAKE, Minn. – When the Rock County Rural Water District noticed an increase in nitrate concentrations in their best producing wells they sought assistance from the Rock County Soil and Water Conservation District and the Minnesota Rural Water Association. “Losing your best producing wells is a big deal in any part of the state,”… Read more »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced today that the U.S. Department of Agriculture is investing $331 million in 85 projects that will improve water and wastewater infrastructure in rural areas. “Strategic investments like these into community infrastructure provide a path to rural economic growth,” Vilsack said. “Water and wastewater upgrades protect the health… Read more »
LORIS, S. C. – When the long-time city administrator and city clerk of Loris, S.C. retired, the small town of 2,400 the public water system was left with no experienced city officials to manage the utility. They contacted the South Carolina Rural Water Association to assist in putting procedures in place and getting the staff… Read more »
SCHURZ, Nev. – When the Walker River Paiute Tribe’s water system was shutting down with an unexplained high pressure alarm, Nevada Rural Water Association’s Ryan Kolda came to assist. Kolda made contact with Leroy Hicks, the system operations specialist, and they began trying to find the cause of the high pressure alarm. “Leroy and I… Read more »