Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand today announced a federal loan worth $479,000 and a federal grant worth $650,000 for the Town of Oakfield. The funding is allocated through the USDA’s Rural Development Water and Waste Disposal Loan and Grant Program and will be used to establish water district No. 3, increasing access to water service for local residents.
“Supporting New York’s rural communities with smart investments for water management is pivotal for communities like the Town of Oakfield and its local economy. It improves water quality and spurs economic development,” said Senator Schumer. “This USDA Rural Development investment for Oakfield will improve local access to clean water and in turn will help enhance quality of life in the community and lead the way to further economic development in the region.”
“This is an important investment for Oakfield,” said Senator Gillibrand, New York’s first member of the Senate Agriculture Committee in nearly four decades. “These federal resources to establish a new water district for the Town of Oakfield will help improve water services for families and businesses. Investing in this kind of critical infrastructure can help attract new businesses and support new jobs to help strengthen our local economy. And when these investments are made at the federal level, that helps hold the line on property taxes.”
“We are very excited,” said Mike Cianfrini, Oakfield Town Supervisor. “The cost of the installation lines will go on the water district affected, not the whole town. This grant will decrease the cost for the residents in the district.”
The Rural Development funds will be used to install water lines in the rural areas outside the village where today there is no municipal water. The project includes running 16,350 linear feet of 8 inch and 12 inch water main down Malby, Fox, Fisher and Drake to establish water district No. 3, which is expected to serve nearly 50 local residents.