Senator Lauds Federal Resources to Support Alaska's Infrastructure Needs

Press Release

Senator Lisa Murkowski today welcomed the announcement from United States Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack that Alaska's rural community infrastructure needs will receive more than $12 million to boost the construction, maintenance, and upgrading of water and wastewater systems throughout rural Alaska.

"A cornerstone of my commitment to Alaska has been to bring safe water and sewer systems to our rural communities, where they are still seeking 20th century standards in the 21st century, and this is a further step in my fight to bring them basic but critical services for their health and quality of life," said Murkowski. "One of my proudest moments as a U.S. Senator was flying back to Buckland to deliver on my promise to Dora Hadley that I'd be there for the village's "First Flush' ceremony. With today's news for Shageluk, Akiachak, Quinhagak, and Nunapitchuk, we are one step closer to the last honeybucket, and nearing the last of our first flushes."

Senator Murkowski believes that as Congress reprioritizes federal spending across-the-board, attention and resources must be devoted to the most basic needs of clean water and plumbing infrastructure to support public health. She has consistently protected the funding for U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Alaska Native Village Grants -- also known as "Village Safe Water' (VSW) through her work on the Appropriations Committee and by defending the program's importance with the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium and the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation.

VSW funds are used to build washeterias, septic tanks, piped systems and holding tanks to provide potable water to a community. As Congress has sought opportunities to cut federal spending on unnecessary or inefficient programs, Murkowski has made sure the nation's commitment to Village Safe Water remains constant at over $20 million.

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