$2.05 Million for Public Water in Putnam County

January 6, 2009, COOKEVILLE – Essential services like clean running water should be available to all people across Tennessee and the rest of the country.  Congressman Bart Gordon announced today that the U.S. Department of Agriculture-Rural Development Agency (USDA-RD) awarded a $1.65 million loan and a $400,000 grant to construct new water distribution lines and replace leaking water lines in Putnam County.

“There are far too many residents in Putnam County and the neighboring counties that do not have access to clean water,” said Congressman Gordon. “While this USDA funding is a step in the right direction, I am committed to getting the resources needed to supply public water services to every household.”

The USDA-RD awarded the loan and grant to the Cookeville Boat Dock Road Utility District, which will use the funds to both build new water lines and repair existing water lines.  Specifically, the Utility District will construct 2 miles of new lines between the master meter on Mine Lick Creek Road and Baxter Road. It will also replace 15 miles of leaking and hydraulically obsolete lines along Ditty, Burgess Falls and Cookeville Boat Dock Roads.

“At a time when the United States funds international efforts aimed at providing the bare essentials to people of struggling nations, like access to clean water, nourishing food, and the like,” Gordon added, “it is hard to comprehend that millions of Americans have those same needs.”

“Adequate public infrastructure is necessary for the health and safety of our families,” said Robert G. Connelly, USDA-RD’s Acting State Director for Tennessee. “We appreciate Congressman Gordon and our strong congressional delegation that make it possible for Rural Development to deliver the financial resources necessary to bring clean and safe water to our rural communities.”

The Cookeville Boat Dock Road Utility District received the funds from the Water and Waste Disposal Loans and Grants program at the USDA-RD.  The mission of this program is finance the construction, extension, or improvement of water and waste disposal systems in rural areas and towns.