MONTE VISTA — In recognition of Earth Week 2023, USDA Rural Development Colorado State Director Armando Valdez announced Thursday, April 20, that the United States Department of Agriculture is investing $29,297,000 to make critical wastewater infrastructure improvements in Monte Vista.

“USDA is proud to celebrate Earth Day to showcase how President Biden’s, 'Investing in America' agenda is supporting locally driven solutions to expand access to safe drinking water and reliable wastewater infrastructure, promoting renewable energy and essential services that create jobs, building critical infrastructure, and creating sustainable futures for rural America. This is an exciting project for the City of Monte Vista, and I appreciate the leadership of the city willing to partner with USDA Rural Development,” said Valdez.

The funding is a combination of grants and loans that allows the City of Monte Vista to overhaul its current system and provide a cleaner, more modern wastewater system.

"We are very pleased to work with USDA Rural Development on the wastewater treatment plant. The nearly $10 million in grant greatly helps our community. We also received $538,500 from Colorado Dept. of Local Affairs toward the design plans. Hoping all goes according to plan, we should be having the ribbon cutting on the new facility in about 5 years," said Gigi Dennis, Monte Vista City Manager.

Currently, the city owns and operates two lagoon wastewater treatment plants: the Henderson Wastewater Treatment Plant (HWWTP), and the Veterans Wastewater Treatment Plant (VWWTP). This project will overhaul the current system, consolidating all the city's municipal flows to the Henderson plant, converting to an activating sludge plant, and improving the overall collection system.

“Investments in water by our rural communities will always be a valuable use of our resource. As we celebrate Earth Week, we also acknowledge water as one of the most precious resources of our planet. As good stewards of these resources, we are, together, providing critical infrastructure and resource utilization for our rural communities,” said Valdez. “This assistance can help mitigate health risks and increase access to safe, reliable drinking water and sanitary waste disposal services."

The project is being funded through USDA Rural Development's Water and Waste Disposal Loan and Grant Program which provides funding for clean and reliable drinking water systems, sanitary sewage disposal, sanitary solid waste disposal, and stormwater drainage to households and businesses in eligible rural areas.

Under the Biden-Harris Administration, 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, Tribal, and high-poverty areas. For more information, visit www.rd.usda.gov/co.