INDIANA - The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is investing heavily in rural Indiana, providing over $90 million to improve access to clean water, reliable electricity, and economic opportunities.
- Frankton will receive a $600,000 grant to improve its wastewater and stormwater systems. This phase of the project will replace and upsize sewer lines, reducing untreated wastewater discharge and improving water quality for over 700 residents.
- Huntingburg will receive a $19.4 million USDA loan to upgrade its wastewater treatment plant, increasing capacity and addressing overload concerns for its 6,362 residents.
- Petersburg will use a $7 million loan and a $1.7 million grant to renovate and improve the city's wastewater utility, including adding new trickling filters, replacing clarifiers, and upgrading the collection system. This project benefits not only Petersburg's 2,300 residents but also up to 963 in Washington Township.
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The USDA is also helping electric cooperatives improve their infrastructure and smart-grid technologies.
- South Central Indiana REMC will receive a $30 million loan to connect nearly 1,900 new consumers and build or improve 291 miles of power lines. The loan also includes funding for smart grid technologies, including fiber optic cable. South Central Indiana REMC serves over 35,000 members in seven south-central Indiana counties.
- Kankakee Valley REMC will use a $31.4 million loan to connect 450 new consumers and build or improve 212 miles of power lines. The loan also includes funding for smart grid technologies. Kankakee Valley serves over 21,500 consumers in seven northwestern Indiana counties.
Federal officials say rural residents will benefit from cleaner water, more reliable electricity, and potentially new economic opportunities created by these infrastructure improvements.
