Information from the Governor's Office:
MADISON – Governor Jim Doyle announced Thursday that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has provided nearly $7.7 million in grants and loans to help the City of Kewaunee and the Village of Gilman upgrade their wastewater and water systems. The projects will be funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).

“This new funding will help deliver safe drinking water and protect the environment in Kewaunee and Gilman,” Governor Doyle said. “These investments will also create good-paying jobs and improve our infrastructure. I want to thank Secretary Vilsack and the Obama Administration for helping make these improvements possible.”

Through the Recovery Act project awards announced Thursday, the City of Kewaunee will receive a $2,086,500 grant and a $4,904,000 loan for wastewater system improvements. The Village of Gilman will receive a $155,000 grant and a $550,000 loan for water system improvements.

The Recovery Act has helped every state, including Wisconsin, deal with the most difficult national economic times since the Great Depression, while paving the way for future economic growth. In Wisconsin, the Recovery Act has been credited with creating or retaining more than 44,000 jobs.

Since the program was created, Wisconsin has overseen nearly $1.1 billion in Recovery Act expenditures. Major projects in Wisconsin have included road construction projects, major water infrastructure, and a new high speed rail line that will create thousands of jobs and benefit the state’s economy for generations. Under Governor Doyle’s leadership, Wisconsin is also the only state to direct 100 percent of the Recovery Act’s state energy funds to help the state’s largest manufacturers find savings through energy efficiency and create jobs.

The loan and grant funding announced Thursday supports 60 projects in 20 states and totals $159 million. To date, USDA has announced $2.3 billion in Recovery Act funds for water and environmental projects since President Obama signed it into law in February 2009. The funding is being administered by USDA Rural Development's Water and Environmental Program, which provides loans and grants to ensure that the necessary investments are made in water and wastewater infrastructure to deliver safe drinking water and protect the environment in rural areas.