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USDA To Fund 16 Rural Water Projects In Kansas

The federal government plans to spend nearly $60 million on water infrastructure projects in rural Kansas.
Laura Nawrocik
/
flickr Creative Commons
The federal government plans to spend nearly $60 million on water infrastructure projects in rural Kansas.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is investing $1.2 billion to help rebuild and improve rural water infrastructure across the nation.

Of the 234 water infrastructure projects nationally, 16 are in Kansas, including one in Valley Center.

The city will get a $3.1 million loan to replace a portion of its aging water distribution system with new water lines, service lines, valves and hydrants. Corroded cast-iron pipe from the 1960s will be replaced.

Here’s the list of the other projects in Kansas:

  • City of Turon - $312,000 loan, $436,000 grant. A 100,000-gallon water storage tower will be constructed and 1,860 feet of water lines will be installed.
  • Strong City - $2.24 million loan, $2.16 million grant. The funding will rehabilitate the city's sewer infrastructure.
  • Public Wholesale Water Supply District No. 23 (Fredonia) - $2.96 million loan, $2.34 million grant. Install approximately 135,000 linear feet of water lines, build a booster pump station and construct a 200,000-gallon elevated water storage tower. 
  • City of Marion - $3.43 million loan. The project will replace 47 blocks of water main lines and old fire hydrants.
  • City of Kiowa - $1.44 million loan, $1.56 million grant. More than 44,000 feet of new water lines will be installed, along with 113 valves, 21 fire hydrants and 386 service assemblies.
  • City of Washington - $6.15 million loan, $1.32 million grant. About 55,000 linear feet of water lines will be installed, as well as 106 gate valves and 60 fire hydrants.
  • Douglas County Rural Water District #4 - $2.38 million loan. The funding will be used to install new water infrastructure to replace existing undersized water lines in four areas within the district.
  • City of Caney - $2.74 million loan, $265,000 grant. The funding will be used to rehabilitate about 62,900 feet of sewer collection lines.
  • City of Toronto - $1.09 million loan, $1.25 million grant. About 46,000 linear feet of waterline pipes will be installed, as well as 74 gate valves, 28 fire hydrants and 170 meter assemblies.
  • City of Gridley - $1,98 million loan, $126,000 grant. The funding will be used to rehabilitate approximately 24,000 feet of sewer collection lines.
  • City of Neodesha - $7 million loan. Project includes constructing a 200,000-gallon elevated water storage tank, upgrading the existing Little Bear elevated storage tank and installing about 14,700 linear feet of water line to loop the distribution system.
  • City of Victoria - $2.97 million loan, $1.44 million grant. A new 150,000-gallon elevated water storage tank will be built, 13,900 feet of water distribution lines will be replaced and there will be upgrades to the telemetry system and the city's existing wells.
  • City of Cambridge - $284,000 loan, $337,000 grant. About 13,000 linear feet of water infrastructure will be replaced, along with 58 new meter settings, 30 valves and 13 hydrants.
  • City of Fort Scott - $4.93 million loan. The project will consist of designing and constructing improvements to the river water intake facility.
  • City of Eskridge - $2.8 million loan, $606,000 grant. The project will rehabilitate about 28,146 feet of wastewater collection system line and will upgrade the three-cell lagoon treatment facility.


In total, Kansas will receive federal aid in the amount of $57 million.

Andrew Linnabary is an intern in the KMUW News Lab.

Copyright 2018 KMUW | NPR for Wichita

Andrew is an intern at KMUW’s News Lab. He is a senior at Wichita State University studying journalism. When not writing, he enjoys listening to hip-hop, exploring Kansas, making music and diving deep into the internet.