December 06, 2017

Duckworth, Durbin Announce Over $1 Million to Help Protect Safe Drinking Water for Rural Communities

 

[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) announced a total of $1,194,000 in federal grants today to help make critical water infrastructure improvements in Pana and Erie, Illinois. This funding comes through the Water & Waste Disposal Loan & Grant Program, a division of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's office of Rural Development, that allocates funding for projects to help ensure clean and reliable drinking water systems in rural communities. The City of Pana will receive a $1,000,000 grant and the Village of Erie will receive a $194,000 grant.

"Grants like these will help ensure families living in rural communities like Pana and Erie have the resources they need to repair their water systems and protect safe drinking water for children and families," Duckworth said. "By making much-needed improvements to our water infrastructure, we can also grow local economies and boost our entire state's economy. I'll continue working with Senator Durbin to secure more investments in rural development across the state."

"Every community deserves to have clean and safe drinking water. This funding will provide Pana and Erie with much-needed resources to improve their water infrastructure and help keep children and families safe from health hazards," Durbin said. "Senator Duckworth and I will continue working to ensure that our state's rural communities have access to these critical federal investments."

These grants will help over 7,400 Illinoisans access safe drinking water, including 5,800 in the City of Pana and 1,600 in the Village of Erie. The Village of Erie project addresses a documented violation from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency regarding high nitrate levels in the Village's water systems. The City of Pana project makes much-needed improvements to the city's water treatment plants in order to mitigate an existing health hazard.

USDA Rural Development invests in infrastructure projects across the country through loans and grants to unserved and underserved rural communities. These resources provide much-needed infrastructure improvements that help business development, homeownership, community services, public safety and healthcare and high-speed internet access.