Red Rock Rural Water System Expansion Made Possible by $6.9 Million in USDA Rural Development Funding

U.S. Congressman Gil Gutknecht Joins USDA, Local Officials for Announcement

  LAKEFIELD, Minn. , May 6 – U.S. Congressman Gil Gutknecht joined officials from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today to announce $6.9 million in funding for the Red Rock Rural Water System. The funding comes in the form of a $5 million low-interest loan and a $1.9 million grant from USDA Rural Development.

    The funding will be used to provide rural water service to 460 members in Lyon , Redwood, Brown, Murray , Cottonwood , Watonwan, Jackson , Nobles and Martin counties. The funding will also be used to build a treatment plant in Cottonwood County and a water tower in Jackson County .

    “USDA Rural Development and the Red Rock Rural Water System have a strong history of providing clean water to rural citizens throughout southwestern Minnesota ,” Gutknecht said. “Projects like this do not happen without strong leadership. I want to commend the leadership at Red Rock Rural Water System, and all of the leaders from the counties this funding will benefit, for having the foresight to begin this project and see it through to its completion.”

    Since 1983, USDA Rural Development has provided over $22 million in funding to the Red Rock Rural Water System for improvements and expansions.

    “President Bush and Congressman Gutknecht have made it a priority to make sure that rural areas have access to clean water,” said Steve Wenzel, Minnesota State Director of USDA Rural Development. “It is rewarding to work with an entity like the Red Rock Rural Water System, whose leaders have worked tirelessly to provide clean water to rural areas in southwestern Minnesota .”

    In addition to clean water, USDA Rural Development provides funding to rural communities for housing, hospitals, clinics, high-speed Internet and other infrastructure projects.

    Further information on USDA Rural Development is available at the local USDA Rural Development office in Worthington (507) 372-7783, or by visiting USDA Rural Development’s web site at http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/mn.

 

History of USDA Rural Development Funding of Red Rock Rural Water System

 

 

Date                            Low-Interest Loan Amount               Grant Amount

1/12/1983                     $1,750,000                                          $1,000,000

9/20/1984                     $400,000                                             $973,000

3/6/1985                       $304,200                                             $61,000

7/12/1996                     $2,000,000                                          $1,900,000

5/20/1997                     $304,000                                             $290,000

12/20/2001                   $1,765,000                                          $1,150,400

8/28/2002                     $1,910,000                                          $1,590,000

4/28/05                         $5,000,000                                          $1,900,000

TOTALS                     $13,433,200                                        $8,864,400

            GRAND TOTAL: $22,297,600

U.S. Congressman Gutknecht discusses the Red Rock Rural Water System with those in attendence.
USDA Rural Development State Director Steve Wenzel signs the $6.9 million check. The loan/grant to Red Rock Rural Water System will be Rural Development's largest Minnesota investment this year.

The Rural Development financing will add 460 users to the Red Rock Rural Water System.
   Gerald Woodley was on hand to represent Senator Norm Coleman at the event.