Some of that money will go to Nelsonville in Athens County, the release said, though it didn’t say how much.

“Access to water is a key driver for economic opportunity and quality of life in rural communities,” Hazlett said in the release. “Under the leadership of Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, USDA is committed to being a strong partner to rural communities in building prosperity through modern water infrastructure.”

In Nelsonville, the release explained, funds will be used to build a wastewater treatment plant and additional collection lines. The plant will serve as the central hub of a new regional treatment area that includes portions of Athens and Hocking counties. The investment also will help the city purchase and improve the village of Buchtel’s wastewater treatment system, reducing user fees, according to the news release.

Additionally, the release continued, Nelsonville has entered into an agreement with Hocking County to treat waste from un-sewered areas in nearby Murray City and Carbon Hill. State funding will offset the cost of these additional collection systems. The project area is located at the gateway of Wayne National Forest, an important Appalachian recreation and rural tourism centerm the release said, adding that “construction and upgrades will positively impact the health of more than 6,630 rural Ohio residents.”

The USDA is providing financing for 234 water and environmental infrastructure projects through the Water and Waste Disposal Loan and Grant program. The funding can be used for drinking water, stormwater drainage and waste-disposal systems for rural communities with 10,000 or fewer residents.