Rural communities struggle for grant funding to address aging infrastructure
Rural communities across the U.S are inheriting aging infrastructure not efficient enough to address their residents’ needs. The grants traditionally used to fund improvements are drying up. Kelly Criswell, executive director of South Plains Association of Governments explains why they are more difficult to be awarded with. “So there’s fewer and fewer grant dollars to go around and they’re more restrictive than ever,” said Criswell. “Then you add in rising construction costs and then you have a real issue that’s hit our rural communities on funding these improvements.”
The city of Idalou, Texas, has a water tower over a century old. While water towers normally have a lifespan of 120-150 years, that is only when they are properly maintained. Only with a United States Department of Agriculture $1.4 million loan was the city able to address this need. With a population of just over 2,000 the rural community will also build its first-ever water treatment plant.
“It’s a luxury, it’s difficult in Lubbock, it’s difficult in rural communities, and to be appreciative to how hard our municipalities are working,” said Criswell. “It’s not always as simple why can’t they just fix this, there’s a lot behind the scenes that goes into being able to operate and maintain a water system.”
