Schumer Urges Feds to Help Improve Water Service to City of Norwich Residents

From Senator Schumer's Office:

Today, United States Senator Charles E. Schumer urged the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development Program to provide the City of Norwich with a $5,022,000 Water and Waste Disposal Loan and Grant. Specifically, this loan and grant would go towards the construction of a much-needed water treatment plant (WTP) in Norwich. Schumer emphasized in his letter to the USDA that a new WTP is integral to the City and its residents. Schumer also noted that the city will not be able to replace its aging WTP unless it secures this federal funding from the USDA.

"This wise federal investment would be a huge boost for the economic development and quality of life in the City of Norwich as cleaner drinking water would flow into the region,” said Schumer. “Moreover, the USDA’s loan and grant would create jobs in the short term for the City of Norwich as it improves the infrastructure necessary for future economic growth. The current water treatment plant in Norwich is over a century old and hampering the City’s ability to attract new businesses. Without this USDA funding, the City of Norwich’s plan to build a new water treatment plant will be left out to dry.”

“The City has been working on this much needed water project for many years,” said City of Norwich Mayor Joseph Maiurano. “This will replace an over one hundred year old facility and insure a high quality of drinking water to the City and surrounding area for many years to come. On behalf of the City, I thank Senator Schumer for his support of this quality of life project.”

Schumer noted in his letter to Sec. Vilsack that the current WTP in Norwich was constructed in 1904. Furthermore, the plant has not been renovated since 1998. The City’s water filtration system has recently operated under a significantly decreased capacity due to the deteriorating conditions of the plant. Schumer highlighted that the plant significant renovation or replacement in order to meet the residents’ needs for clean water. This USDA loan and grant is crucial to meeting the City’s goals for a better quality of life and cleaner water for its residents.

Dear Secretary Vilsack,

I write in support of the City of Norwich’s request for $5,022,000 USDA Rural Development Grant/Loan package for the construction of a new surface water treatment plant (WTP). The WTP is integral to the City. Its replacement is contingent upon the ability to secure the aforementioned funding. Without the Grant/Loan package, the City of Norwich simply cannot undertake the replacement of their outdated surface water treatment plant.

The current WTP was constructed in 1904. The last renovations to the building occurred in 1998. It has recently been operating under a significantly decreased capacity due to the conditions of the plant. In order to return to optimum capability, the plant will need significant renovation, ideally complete replacement. It is easy to see that this USDA Grant/Loan package would greatly assuage concerns to Norwich created by the ailing plant.

I certainly think this allocation of funding would be prudent. This project is the epitome of one which supports the economy and quality of life in rural America. The importance of critical infrastructure that supports a population as considerable as Norwich’s cannot be overstated.