Gillibrand: USDA announces funding for water projects in Tully, Brutus

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is awarding a loan to the Village of Tully and a loan and grant to the Town of Brutus in Cayuga County for water projects.

U.S. Senators Charles Schumer (D–N.Y.) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D–N.Y.) and U.S. Representative Daniel Maffei (D–DeWitt) made the announcement in a news release that Gillibrand’s office distributed on Monday.

The USDA’s water and waste-disposal loan and grant program allocated the funding, the lawmakers said.

The Village of Tully will use a loan of more than $3.1 million to replace an outdated well house, replace an old water tank and to replace a small waterline. The Town of Brutus will use a grant of $430,000 and a $530,000 loan to help improve water quality in the area.

“The Village has worked over the past 4 1/2 years with USDA to secure funding to address the numerous deficiencies of our aging water system infrastructure,” Beth Greenwood, mayor of the Village of Tully, said in the news release. “Although this bond will double the costs of water for all of our users, the work that will be done will ensure that the ongoing operation of our system meets [the] basic 10 States Standard and will allow the Village to provide our water users with safe drinking water.”

10 States Standards are standards that New York, nine other states, and the province of Ontario have developed for public-water supplies.

The municipalities are part of the Great Lakes – Upper Mississippi River Board (GLUMRB) of State and Provincial Public Health and Environmental Managers, according to the website http://10statesstandards.com.

Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com