Persistent poverty (grant only) combination loan & grant w & w-water only

The Department of Agriculture Rural Utilities Service awarded $6.086 million to Sardis Lake Water Authority on March 31, 2026, under the Water and Waste Disposal Systems for Rural Communities program (CFDA 10.760) to support water and wastewater infrastructure development serving economically disadvantaged rural communities in persistent poverty areas. This is a combination loan-and-grant project grant with a period of performance through March 31, 2028, and place of performance in Clayton, Oklahoma. Sardis Lake Water Authority, a not-for-profit rural water utility based in Oklahoma, will deliver design, construction, repair, and upgrade of drinking water systems and wastewater treatment facilities serving rural communities. The program provides loan and grant funds for water and waste projects with the objective of producing reasonable user costs for rural residents, rural businesses, and other rural users. The award is one of two project grants Sardis Lake Water Authority received from RUS in March 2026, totaling $11.17 million when combined with a concurrent $5.084 million standard domestic water grant.