Buchanan County, VA, to receive funding, technical assistance through EPA’s WaterCARE program

Virginia’s Buchanan County is among 10 local governments to receive a total of $500,000 from the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) new Water Community Assistance for Resiliency and Excellence (WaterCARE) program, which assists small communities in upgrading water systems.

Through WaterCARE and $50,000 in funding for each, Buchanan County and the other nine communities will be better able to finance water infrastructure improvements, receiving both funding and technical assistance from the EPA that will help them meet their residents’ long-term needs. In Buchanan County, the funding will help the local government continue its efforts to update, maintain and operate its drinking water system, which the county built out to service isolated areas.

“Buchanan County deserves credit for expanding its system to bring safe drinking water to residents in hard-to-reach areas,” EPA Regional Administrator Shawn M. Garvin said. “These funds will help the county move forward to ensure the sustainable protection of public health into the future.”

Community eligibility for the WaterCARE program is dependent upon a population of less than 100,000, public health needs, median household income considerations and readiness to undertake a capital improvement project.

Other communities receiving WaterCARE assistance include: Lawrence, Massachusetts; The Township of South Orange Village, New Jersey; Selma, Alabama; Youngstown, Ohio; Gatesville, Texas; Johnston, Iowa; Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribe in Montana; Hoopa Valley Tribe in California; and Haines Borough, Alaska.