BLUEFIELD — A combination of grant and loan funding will mean almost $1 million to bring public water service to 106 households in Mercer County.
The $487,000 grant and $480,000 loan from U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development Program will go to the Bluewell Public Service District to provide water to those households in the Browning-Lambert Mountain area.
Residents of that area currently do not have a safe and reliable source of water.
Sens. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., both members of the Senate Appropriations Committee, made the announcement Wednesday.
The local funding was part of $21.6 million for six localities around the state.
“Every West Virginian deserves clean water to drink and fresh air to breathe,” Manchin said in the announcement. “Investing in our rural communities spurs economic growth and creates good-paying jobs, and I am pleased USDA is investing in these six sites to improve water quality, strengthen local water infrastructure, expand clean water service to new communities and renovate the historic Fort Henry building in Wheeling.”
Manchin said that as a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, he will “continue to advocate for funding to ensure our rural communities across the Mountain State have the resources they need to thrive.”
“Having safe, reliable water and wastewater systems in West Virginia’s rural communities is not a luxury, it is essential,” Capito said. “The grants announced today are great news for Ohio, Harrison, Mercer, Mingo, Taylor, and Tyler counties, and will provide critical upgrades for local sewage, water, and wastewater infrastructure in these areas.”