Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced on July 7 that the town of Gooding, Idaho will receive $15,370,000 in loans and $2,380,000 in grants to improve its wastewater infrastructure. The grants and loans are part of a larger $307 million U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development investment to modernize rural drinking water and wastewater infrastructure in 34 states and Puerto Rico.

Rural Community Assistance Corporation technical assistance providers worked closely with the town of Gooding since 2017 to assess its water and wastewater rate structure. RCAC created various models for the town to increase revenue while mitigating steep rate hikes on customers.

RCAC Rural Development Specialist Jeremy Peirsol worked extensively with town leaders on their rate studies. He praised the news, saying, “I’m very happy to see Gooding get the necessary upgrades for both its drinking water and wastewater systems. This is a culmination of city leadership and staff efforts at all levels.”

According to USDA Rural Development, the investment will fund substantial wastewater infrastructure rehabilitation to ensure the town meets environmental regulatory requirements.

View the full USDA press release here: https://www.usda.gov/media/press-releases/2021/07/07/biden-harris-administration-invests-307-million-rural-water-and