More than $8 million in grants from the U.S. Department of Agriculture are being made available to help eastern Kentucky communities improve their water and waste infrastructure.
They’re meant to help provide resources to the 26 Kentucky counties declared disaster areas after the 2022 floodings.
That includes supporting disaster mitigation efforts in the region, finding solutions to problems affecting local water systems and providing training to operators and managers.
“The assistance I'm announcing today will help make sure rural communities across this state who were impacted by natural disasters last year have the resources they need to recover and increase the resiliency of their water, wastewater, stormwater, and solid waste infrastructure,” USDA Rural Development Kentucky State Director Tom Carew said in a release. “This funding is critical because we know that rural America is home to millions of people who make up America’s spirit and character.”
This comes after technical assistance grants for energy efficiency were also made available to the region’s rural communities last July. USDA representatives are also visiting eastern Kentucky Tuesday to discuss water and broadband infrastructure needs with residents.
Applications are available through October 30.
