USDA critical rural infrastructure money funds three CNY projects

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development Acting New York State Director Brian Murray recently announced funding totaling more than $70 million across 24 projects to build and improve critical infrastructure in rural New York communities. 

It was part of a nationwide announcement by USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack about the agency’s $5.2 billion in funding for critical rural infrastructure in 46 states and Puerto Rico. This funding is made possible by the recent passage of the bipartisan infrastructure law in Congress. 

According to a Dec. 16 release from the USDA Rural Development Syracuse office, projects in Central New York receiving the USDA money include these three:

• The Village of Boonville in Oneida County will use $7.37 million under the Water and Waste Disposal Loan and Grant Program to rehabilitate the Mill Creek Interceptor and make improvements to the wastewater-treatment plant. 

• The Village of Mexico in Oswego County will obtain $3.9 million in loan funding to assist in rehabilitation of a critical village water system, replacing about 8,000 linear feet of water mains as well as replacing a water-storage tank.

• The Town of Huron in Wayne County will receive $1.8 million in loan funding and $1.4 million in grant money to construct Water District #9. The project consists of connecting to an existing water system owned and operated by the Town of Huron and installing 42,000 linear feet of 8-inch water main and appurtenances. This project will benefit the town by extending safe, reliable drinking water, the USDA said.