The U.S. Department of Agriculture is providing $1.2 billion in financing for 234 water and environmental infrastructure projects through its Water and Waste Disposal Loan and Grant program.

The funding can be used for drinking water, stormwater drainage and waste disposal systems for rural communities with 10,000 or fewer residents. Loans can be repaid over as long a period as 40 years, depending on the facility's useful life.

(See a complete list of funded projects.)

In Pennsylvania, the Municipal Authority of the Borough of Berlin is receiving a $2.5 million loan to replace the primary water transmission line for its municipal water system. The line was built in 1979, is in poor condition, has experienced numerous breaks resulting in boil-water notices and has inadequate water pressure to fight fires. The investment will also help replace water meters.

The Todd County Water District in Kentucky will receive a $3.2 million loan and a $390,000 grant to construct two miles of water line and a 500,000-gallon water storage tank. The upgrades will provide up to 1 million gallons per day for a manufacturer that plans to build an automotive aluminum sheet facility.

The Bond Water Association Inc. in Winston County, Mississippi, will use a $1.4 million loan to upgrade its water system. It will build a 300-gallon-per-minute well and replace 28,200 feet of distribution lines. Also, new radio-read meters will be installed and two existing water treatment plants will be rehabilitated.