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USDA is providing financing for 234 water and environmental infrastructure projects through the Water and Waste Disposal Loan and Grant program -- funding that can be used for drinking water, stormwater drainage, and waste disposal systems for rural communities with 10,000 or fewer residents.

Anne Hazlett, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's assistant to the Secretary for Rural Development, announced Dec. 4 that the agency is investing $1.2 billion to help rebuild and improve rural water infrastructure for 936,000 rural Americans living in 46 states. USDA is providing financing for 234 water and environmental infrastructure projects through the Water and Waste Disposal Loan and Grant program -- funding that can be used for drinking water, stormwater drainage, and waste disposal systems for rural communities with 10,000 or fewer residents.

"Access to water is a key driver for economic opportunity and quality of life in rural communities," Hazlett said. "Under the leadership of Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, USDA is committed to being a strong partner to rural communities in building prosperity through modern water infrastructure."

Eligible communities and water districts can apply online on the interactive RD Apply tool or through one of USDA Rural Development's state or field offices.

In Pennsylvania, the Municipal Authority of the Borough of Berlin is receiving a $2.5 million loan to replace the primary water transmission line for the Berlin Municipal Water System. Constructed in 1979, the line is in poor condition, has experienced numerous breaks resulting in boil water notices, and has inadequate water pressure to fight fires, according to USDA's release. The investment will also help replace water meters.

The Todd County Water District in Kentucky will receive a $3.2 million loan and a $390,000 grant to construct 2 miles of water line and a 500,000-gallon water storage tank. The upgrades will provide up to 1 million gallons per day for a new industrial site near Guthrie, as Novelis Industries plans to build an automotive aluminum sheet manufacturing facility.

The Bond Water Association Inc. in Winston County, Miss., will use a $1.4 million loan to upgrade its water system.

USDA is making investments in rural communities in Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and West Virginia.