Federal funds totaling in excess of $27 million in water and environmental program grants and loans have been awarded to the Yukon Kuskokwim Health Corp., and the cities of Bethel and Saint Mary’s.
U.S. Department of Agriculture-Rural Development Undersecretary Lisa Mensah announced the grants and loans on Aug. 30 in Bethel, at the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta Regional Hospital.
“Strengthening the ability to provide residents with safe and reliable water and sanitation services is at the core of our mission,” Mensah said.
The Yukon Kuskokwim Health Corp. received a $125,000 technical assistance and training grant, to be used to develop strategic plans to help systems improve outcomes in key management areas, sound record keeping and reporting systems and to complete a capital improvement plan to improve sanitation conditions, meet regulatory compliance and protect public infrastructure.
The city of Bethel received a $913,000 water and water disposal loan, plus a $1,669,358 grant to design and construct improvements to a lagoon truck dumpsite/jetty and purchase three additional sewer collection trucks.
The city of Saint Mary’s received a $204,000 water and waste disposal loan and $196,500 grant to provide for expansion of recovered heat in the city shop, which serves as an entry point of the water utility system. The project is intended to substantially reduce fuel usage and ultimately reduce the cost of water service to consumers.
Since 2009, USDA-Rural Development has invested over $2 billion 226 rural Alaska communities, for housing, community facilities, business, energy, water and sewer, telecom and electric ventures.
Contact Tasha Deardorff, director, West Area and Water and Environmental Programs, for USDA-RD, at 907-271-2424, extension118, or email tsha.deardorff@ak.usda.gov for more information.
