QUAMBA, Minn., Sep 07, 2011 -- USDA Rural Development State Director Colleen Landkamer visited the Quamba City Hall today to recognize the city for using over $1.8 million in USDA funds to build infrastructure for a regionalized wastewater collection and treatment system with the nearby city of Mora.

“Solving wastewater treatment issues in rural communities can be challenging. That’s why partnership and collaboration is so important,” Landkamer said. “By partnering with the city of Mora, Quamba was able to find an effective solution to the problems caused by not having a centralized wastewater collection and treatment system.”

Quamba residents currently treat wastewater with individual septic systems. Many of the septic systems are failing and classified as imminent health risks in urgent need of replacement. The new system will collect wastewater through a combination of conventional gravity mains, small grinder stations and forcemains. A lift station and forcemain will pump the wasterwater to the city of Mora for final treatment and disposal.

The upgraded infrastructure will provide safe and reliable wastewater treatment for Minnesota’s only city that begins with the letter ‘Q.’ Quamba was able to reduce the cost of the project by partnering Mora.

About $800,000 in additional funding for the project came from the State of Minnesota’s Wastewater Infrastructure fund.

Rural Development has invested over $3 billion over the last three years to finance essential community facilities, housing, businesses, high-speed Internet, renewable energy and electric infrastructure in rural Minnesota.

To learn more about Rural Development programs, contact the office in Cambridge at (763) 689-3354, ext. 4.