For the last 20 years, one small New Jersey town nestled along the bank of the Delaware River spends an entire weekend preparing for something you’d pull out of an adventure book – an all-out Viking invasion.
Hundreds of locals line the water’s edge as the river’s current guides hordes of homemade boats, each packed full of shouting passengers covered in face paint and body armor, toward civilization. And slowly, before they reach their destination -- the boats begin to sink.
All of them, one by one. It’s inevitable.
A closer look paints a clearer picture: the boats are made of paper, the “Vikings” are community residents, and the whole experience is a mainstay of Frenchtown’s annual Riverfest -- an artistic, homegrown celebration of the town’s history through an ecologically and sustainability focused lens.
“Frenchtown is a quaint river town where everyone really looks out for each other,” said native Brad Myhre, Frenchtown Borough mayor who’s held the position for the past nine years. “We’re a tightknit community that takes pride in our environmental stewardship.”
A few decades back the Frenchtown community faced a threat greater than a theatrical foreign invasion. The eco-friendly town needed a fix for something they take great pride in protecting – water.
The town’s wastewater treatment facility, which serves the entire population of roughly 1,500 residents, had reached its age of useful life. Several upgrades were implemented over the years, but increasingly restrictive water and environmental standards coupled with frequent flooding from the Delaware River made it clear the town needed a long-term fix. That’s when they turned to New Jersey Rural Development.
Through RD’s Water & Waste Programs, Frenchtown secured funding in the amount of $434,000 for a new wastewater treatment facility in 2018 designed to enhance treatment efficiency at a substantially reduced cost for residents. The collaboration between the town and RD mirrored the Frenchtown spirit, demonstrating their dedication to civil service and sustainability.
“The strategic partnership with the USDA Rural Development team was instrumental in helping Frenchtown Borough construct a modern wastewater treatment facility that is not only efficient, but among the cleanest facilities located along the Delaware River,” said Myhre.
The current didn’t stop there, and the picturesque town again teamed up with Rural Development for another critical water project that broke ground this past winter.
The route through the Borough’s historic downtown winds past dozens of rustic storefronts that rest at the bottom of a rapid ascent to a neighborhood called the Hilltop area, originally constructed in the 1960s and fully reliant on outdated septic systems.
Working with the USDA, Frenchtown received funding in the amount of $2,978,228 to install a new gravity sanitary sewer system in the Hilltop area, which is set to be completed later this year. In addition to providing modern infrastructure, the project also eliminates potential groundwater contamination, further showcasing the town's commitment to the well-being of its residents.
“Without the USDA’s support, Frenchtown residents would have had to shoulder an even costlier upgrade that would have placed additional strain on our ratepayers,” said Myhre. “We’re thankful for the ongoing partnership with Rural Development.”
“Frenchtown captures the essence of a charming small town whose residents needed a little support affording costly infrastructure improvements,” said Jane Asselta, state director of Rural Development New Jersey. “We’re proud to provide financial assistance to help this quaint, historic town grow and thrive.”
Rural Development provides loans and grants to help expand economic opportunities, create jobs, and improve the quality of life for millions of Americans in rural areas. This assistance supports infrastructure improvements; business development; housing; community facilities such as schools, public safety, and health care; and high-speed internet access in rural, high-poverty areas.
For more information, visit https://www.rd.usda.gov/nj
Related Story
