Monday, December 5, 2022
Holiday music on almost every radio station can only mean one thing. Thanksgiving is behind us, and holiday shopping is in full swing. It is time to start hanging up decorations, watching a lot of football and maybe cutting some more wood for winter. Almost all of the things we do on a daily basis cannot be accomplished without water and sometimes we forget how lucky we are to have an abundant supply of clean drinking water. This year the North Central Missouri Regional Water Commission, and the more than 68,000 rural Missourians in Adair, Chariton, Grundy, Linn, Livingston, Macon, Mercer, Putnam, Schuyler, and Sullivan Counties are getting an early holiday gift. Last week, the Missouri Rural Development team working on this project were honored to announce that USDA Rural Development will provide the last piece of the funding puzzle for North Central Missouri Regional Water Commission and their Roy Blunt Reservoir project. USDA Rural Development works hard to ensure that rural Missourians have access to clean, reliable drinking water.
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 Photo caption (Left to Right) Missouri USDA Rural Development Staff:
Andrew Fisher, Community Program Specialist, David Cheek, Community Program Specialist, Kyle Wilkens, Missouri State Director, Clark Thomas, Community Program Director, Shawna Barnes, Area Specialist, Shane Ebeling, Area Director
Decades in the making, the Roy Blunt Reservoir project, near Milan, will be the reservoir that services North Central Missouri’s water needs. This project has been in the works for about 50 years. The collaboration between local county, state, and federal governments to keep this project moving forward is inspiring. The different agencies that have come together to make this a reality and the bipartisan support for this project is outstanding. The North Central Missouri Regional Water Commission never gave up on this project and USDA Rural Development will continue to partner with them. Partnerships like these are the best way to strengthen and preserve rural Missouri.
USDA Rural Development is providing just over $45,000,000 loan/grant combination to the North Central Missouri Regional Water Commission (NCMRWC) through the Water and Waste Disposal Loan and Grant program. This Rural Development investment will be used to improve the commission's regional multi-purpose water system by creating a water reservoir, constructing an intake tower and transmission line, and modernizing its water treatment plant. North Central Missouri Regional Water Commission currently purchases raw water from multiple smaller lakes near the city of Milan to provide clean, potable water to its wholesale customers. The commission will use this funding to dam East Locust Creek in Sullivan County that will in turn create a water supply reservoir at least 2,300 acres in size. Upon completion, the newly created reservoir will be its primary raw water source ensuring wholesale customers, and the rural Missourians they serve, have stable access to clean, potable water. Ultimately, upon completion, this regional water system will provide a consistent, stable water source supplying water to rural residents during both normal and drought conditions. Previously, the area's water sources became so dangerously low during times of drought that it jeopardized the availability of clean water necessitating a more sustainable alternative.
NCMRWC has received funding through the Water and Waste Disposal Loan and Grant program before. A $5,017,000 loan and a $3 million grant funding that will be used to finance the existing water treatment plant and make improvements to the plant’s equipment. All internal controls, piping, pumps, equipment, and other mechanisms associated with the treatment of raw water will be modernized to utilize the most up-to-date technology.
Water and Waste Disposal Loan and Grant Program provides funding for clean and reliable drinking water systems, sanitary sewage disposal, sanitary solid waste disposal, and storm water drainage to households and businesses in eligible rural areas.
Rural Development provides loans and grants to help expand economic opportunities, create jobs, and improve the quality of life for millions of Americans in rural areas. This assistance supports infrastructure improvements; business development; housing; community facilities such as schools, public safety, and health care; and high-speed internet access in rural and high-poverty areas. For more information, visit www.rd.usda.gov. If you’d like to subscribe to USDA Rural Development updates, visit our GovDelivery subscriber page.
Always feel free to reach out to us at Rural Development by visiting our website www.rd.usda.gov/mo, emailing us at RDMissouri@usda.gov, or calling us at (573) 876-0976 to get more information on any of USDA Rural Development’s programs.
Thank you,
Kyle Wilkens
USDA Rural Development Missouri State Director
www.rd.usda.gov/mo
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