Washington, DC – Today, U.S. Senators Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), members of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced $9,843,000 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development Water and Waste Disposal Loans and Grants program for three projects in West Virginia. The funding will support completing numerous sewer system improvements throughout Mason County, expanding water access and upgrading equipment in unserved areas of the Adrian Public Service District and Randolph County and repairing the sewer collection system in Tunnelton.

“In order to ensure all West Virginians have access to clean, safe water, we must continue to upgrade our water and wastewater infrastructure throughout the state,” said Senator Manchin. “I am pleased USDA is investing more than $9.8 million in these three critical projects, which will support important improvements to sewer systems in Mason County and Tunnelton and help construct waterline extensions to unserved areas in Randolph County as well as upgrading equipment throughout the Adrian Public Service District. Investing in our communities spurs economic development and creates good-paying, long-term jobs, and I look forward to seeing the positive impacts of these projects. As a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, I will continue advocating for resources to ensure our rural communities across the Mountain State have the resources they need to thrive.”

“Strong, reliable wastewater and drinking water infrastructure is vital to the success of our communities, and I’m proud to announce needed upgrades for Mason, Randolph, and Preston counties through the USDA Rural Development Water and Waste Disposal Loans and Grants program,” Senator Capito said. “This funding will ensure that our Public Service Districts and towns properly serve our residents, and position each for growth and good-paying jobs in the near future.”

“Providing residents with safe and efficient water and wastewater services is the foundation on which rural communities are built,” said Ryan Thorn, USDA Rural Development State Director for West Virginia. “At Rural Development, we are advocates for, investors in, and partners to rural communities and the people, businesses and organizations within those communities. Rural Development’s more than $9.8 million investment in these projects is a testament of our commitment to strengthen basic infrastructure in rural communities throughout West Virginia.”

Individual awards listed below:

    $5,100,000 (Grant), $2,850,000 (Loan) – Mason County Public Service District
        This funding will be used to make sewer system improvements throughout Mason County, including the installation of approximately 82,000 linear feet of gravity and pressure sewer, 180 grinder pumps, five lift stations and 16,600 linear feet of transmission force mains.

    $1,863,000 (Grant) – Adrian Public Service District
        This funding will be used to construct ten waterline extensions in unserved areas of the Adrian Public Service District and Randolph County, as well as upgrade the existing distribution system. The extensions will reach 166 potential new customers. The project will also install two new water booster pump stations and two new water storage tanks that will extend service to the community of Pickens and Metzner Hollow Road.

    $30,000 (Grant) – Town of Tunnelton
        This funding will be used to make permanent repairs to the town’s sewer collection system, including eliminating service lines that are no longer in use, upgrading the existing wastewater treatment plant and installing two new pump stations. The project will improve service to 142 residential users, four commercial users and eight public users.