Nine projects in Louisiana’s 5th Congressional District will receive more than $27 million in combined loans and grants from the US Department of Agriculture Rural Development, according to Congressman Ralph Abraham.
One of the nine projects will take place in St. Landry Parish. The Town of Melville is set to receive $4.39 million for improvements to its water system. The improvements will be made by constructing or rehabilitating system components.
In May of this year, the Town of Melville was listed as one ofthe State of Louisiana’s “Most Distressed” drinking water systems by a committee with Governor John Bel Edward’s administration.
A release Tuesday states that the investments in these projects will help upgrade, install or construct nine water system projects. Along with St. Landry Parish, projects will take place in Caldwell, Grant, Jackson, Winn, Catahoula, La Salle, and West Feliciana Parishes.
This funding comes as a part of a $1.2 billion investment by the USDA Rural Development to help rebuild and improve rural water infrastructure in 46 states. Investments are used for drinking water, stormwater drainage, and waste disposal systems for rural communities with 10,000 or fewer residents.
“This funding provides these areas with the means to make necessary enhancements to their water systems that might not be possible otherwise,” said Abraham. “The people who live in our rural communities deserve access to safe, affordable and clean drinking water.”
Below is a brief description of the projects happening in those parishes listed above provided in a release.
The Town of Melville, in St. Landry Parish, will receive $4.39 million for improvements to its water system by constructing or rehabilitating system components.
East Columbia Water District, in Caldwell Parish, will receive $3.28 million to construct two groundwater wells, a treatment plant, booster station, a 200,000-gallon ground storage tank, two miles of water mains, and replace the existing water meters with a drive-by radio-read meter system.
West Grant Water Association, in Grant Parish, will receive $337,000 as continued funds for an original project to construct two new wells, an elevated storage tank and renovated pump stations.
Two projects in Jackson Parish will receive a combined $2.3 million. The Village of North Hodge will receive $255,000 to complete various projects to bring their water system into compliance with the Louisiana Department of Health. The Village of Hodge will receive $2.1 million to restore their sewer collection system.
The Hudson Gaars Mill Water Systems Inc., in Winn Parish, will receive $1.8 million to produce and treat its own water at lower costs.
The Black River Water Inc., in Catahoula Parish, will receive $3.7 million to install one groundwater well and rehabilitate another two wells.
The Belah-Fellowship Water System Inc., in La Salle Parish, will receive $4.1 million to refurbish a water treatment storage and distribution system.
Consolidated Waterworks No.13, in West Feliciana Parish, will receive $7.7 million to make upgrades to the water systems chemical feed equipment in wells to meet current industry standards.
To learn more about these projects and other infrastructure projects funded through the USDA Rural Development Water and Waste Disposal Loan and Grant program, click here.
