The McHugh Report: News from Congressman John M. McHugh

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 30, 2005		 Contact: Brynn Barnett
202-225-4611

 

McHUGH SECURES $150K FOR WESTPORT'S

NEW WATER PIPELINE

 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Rural Development office has awarded a $150,000 Emergency Community Water Assistance Grant (ECWAG) to the Town of Westport, Rep. John M. McHugh (R-NY) announced today. The monies will be used to install 3,800 feet of new transmission pipeline to carry water from its source to Westport.

 

"This is certainly welcome news for this Essex County community, and I am delighted that I was able to work with USDA Rural Development to secure this critical funding,” McHugh said. "This and other Rural Development programs provide much-needed assistance to rural areas. In this case, the monies will go a long way to ensure that Westport residents have access to a safe and adequate supply of drinking water."

 

The need for this equipment became clear this spring when heavy rain saturated the soil, causing three major transmission water lines to break. The town will install the new lines along Stevenson Road, and abandon the existing pipeline in the unstable clay embankment. An estimated 442 residents will benefit from the construction.

 

"The installation of these water lines is crucial to Westport's municipal water system," said Patrick H. Brennan, State Director of USDA Rural Development in New York. "I am pleased that Congressman McHugh and USDA Rural Development were able to come through with these emergency funds to ensure that Westport residents have an abundant supply of safe water."

 

USDA Rural Development’s mission is to help the 53 million people of rural America develop sustainable communities and improve their quality of life. Its programs are administered through three agencies: the Rural Business-Cooperative Service, the Rural Housing Service, and the Rural Utilities Service. The goal of the Emergency Community Water Assistance Grant program is to provide financial assistance to residents of rural areas who have experienced a significant decline in the quantity or quality of their water supply.

 

For more information on USDA Rural Development, visit http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/.

 

 

Back