News Releases from Region 03
EPA Recognizes Allegany County, Maryland for excellence in supporting Frostburg water project
WASHINGTON (November 22, 2019) –The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is recognizing Allegany County, Maryland for excellence and innovation regarding a funding project to support a new drinking water line and fire hydrants for 61 households in the City of Frostburg.
The Allegany County project is one of 25 drinking water infrastructure projects nationwide recognized for excellence and innovation within EPA’s Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF). These projects showcase the public health protections that can be achieved when the federal government, states, municipalities and local utilities work together.
“Allegany County’s determination and commitment to bring a much needed, new drinking water line will improve the quality of lives for residents in Frostburg, Maryland,” said Cosmo Servidio, EPA Mid-Atlantic Regional Administrator. “Helping small communities build capacity to supply safe drinking water to homes, schools and businesses is an EPA priority.”
Due to historic mining activity, 61 homes in Frostburg had an unreliable drinking water source. DWSRF funding was used to help install a 2,400-foot water line and 25 hydrants to connect these unserved households to the City of Frostburg’s drinking water system.
The State Revolving Funds (SRF) are EPA-state partnerships that provide communities with a permanent, independent source of low-cost financing for a wide range of water quality and drinking water infrastructure projects. EPA’s SRFs have provided more than $170 billion in financial assistance to over 39,900 water quality infrastructure projects and 14,500 drinking water projects across the country. This year’s honored projects include large wastewater infrastructure upgrades, community driven green infrastructure development, the construction of new water treatment plants and lead service line replacement. All of these projects highlight outstanding achievements in water quality improvement and public health protection that benefit Americans from coast to coast.
EPA’s AQUARIUS program celebrates innovation, sustainability, and public health protection demonstrated by DWSRF programs and assistance recipients. To see the full list of recognized projects and learn more about the AQUARIUS Program, visit https://19january2021snapshot.epa.gov/dwsrf/announcing-2019-aquarius-recognition-program