The U.S. Department of Agriculture is investing $1.2 billion to help rebuild and improve rural water infrastructure for 936,000 rural Americans living in 46 states, including Ohio, Assistant to the Secretary for Rural Development Anne Hazlett announced in a news release on Wednesday.
Some of that money will go to Nelsonville in Athens County, the release said, though it didn't say how much.
In Nelsonville, the release explained, funds will be used to build a wastewater treatment plant and additional collection lines. The plant will serve as the central hub of a new regional treatment area that includes portions of Athens and Hocking counties. The investment also will help the city purchase and improve the village of Buchtel's wastewater treatment system, reducing user fees, according to the news release.
The USDA is providing financing for 234 water and environmental infrastructure projects through the Water and Waste Disposal Loan and Grant program. The funding can be used for drinking water, stormwater drainage and waste-disposal systems for rural communities with 10,000 or fewer residents.