Delahunt Announces Clean Water Funds For Cape And Vineyard

01/25/2010
WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Rep Bill Delahunt was informed by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today that the Obama administration has approved $29.7 million in funds for several local water and sewer projects.  

“Over the past year, my office has been working with officials from towns on the Cape and Islands and the South Shore to secure rural development stimulus funding for a number of important local projects,” said Delahunt.  “I want to commend the Selectmen and public works officials in each of these communities for their tireless support and for helping us make the case that federal funding is desperately needed here in our region in order to protect the environment and create jobs.”

The federal funding will be coming from the U.S. Rural Development Administration (RDA).  The announcement today is targeted to the following communities:

1) Provincetown:  The Town of Provincetown will receive $21.83 million - $9.83 million for improvements to the municipal water system and $12 million for upgrades to the municipal sewer system.  

The water system funding is broken down as follows -- $7.36 in grant funding and $2.46 million in low interest loans.  These funds will be used to construct water treatment facilities at the Knowles Crossing well field, upgrade the Mount Gilboa storage tank, and reduce significant sources of leakage in water lines by replacing aged service connections.  

The $12 million sewer system funding is broken down as follows -- $9 million in grant funding and $3 million in a low interest loan.  The upgrades include expanding the sewer system to the Truro town line and improvements to the vacuum system.

2)  Wellfleet: The Town of Wellfleet will receive $6 million in federal funding for water supply improvements.  Approximately 75% of the total funding will be awarded as a grant.  These funds will be used to expand the existing water system to over 300 additional users.

3)  Edgartown:  The Town of Edgartown will be awarded $806,100 in funding to extend the municipal sewer system to properties in the Great Pond watershed.  Approximately 45% will be in the form of a grant.  Delahunt staff have been working with town officials to secure federal funding to help protect coastal ponds and embayments and reduce nitrogen levels.

4)  Oak Bluffs:  The Town will receive a $1.1 million grant to expand municipal sewer to the high school and new YMCA facility in the Lagoon Pond watershed, and make improvements to the wastewater treatment facility.

Recently, Delahunt announced that federal stimulus funding would also be coming to the Town of Chatham for municipal sewer system improvements, bringing the total water and sewer infrastructure funding from RDA to almost $60 million.  

“These RDA funded projects are very important to our communities and will help ease the pressure on local taxpayers who are overburdened with cuts in so many local services and programs.”  Delahunt said.  

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