As part of the continuing resolution that reopened the government after a 44-day shutdown, Rep. Burgess Owens, R-Utah, announced that $5 million will go toward funding the Gunnison City Tarr Canyon Water Development Project.
When completed, the water project will provide Gunnison and the Central Utah Correctional Facility with a new drinking water well.
This is just part of the $46 million of the bill set aside to bolster Utah’s water infrastructure and rural communities.
“For over a decade, Gunnison has faced an urgent need for a clean, dependable water source,” Owens said in the press release. “This $5 million investment in Utah’s 4th District will build a new drinking water well in Tarr Canyon, relieve pressure on aging infrastructure and ensure reliable water access for years to come.”
He continued, “Utah is growing quickly, and smart infrastructure like this is essential to supporting our rural communities. I’m proud to deliver these results for my district and will keep working every day to get our state’s priorities across the finish line.”
Upon the announcement, Gunnison Mayor Lori Nay thanked Owens and said the funding “makes this project possible.”
Other infrastructure projects included in the continuing resolution include the following:
- $7.5 million for the Grassroots Source Water Protection Program, “to help prevent pollution of surface and ground water used as the primary source of drinking water by rural residents.”
- $23.9 million for the Circuit Rider Program, which “provides technical assistance to rural water systems that are experiencing day-to-day operational, financial or managerial issues.”
- $10 million for a multistate “regional technical assistance grant,” that expands regional support and training for local water and wastewater systems.