By KRWG News
Ruidoso – The Village of Ruidoso has been awarded $2.9 million from the U.S. Department of Commerce for the purchase of equipment for the new regional wastewater treatment system. The regional wastewater treatment system includes the Village of Ruidoso, the city of Ruidoso Downs and the Mescalero Apache Reservation.
The present wastewater plant is in the Rio Ruidoso flood plan and, like other public and private property, was damaged in the flash flooding caused by Hurricane Dolly in 2008.
"I was in Ruidoso during the 2008 flash floods and saw the destruction in the community firsthand," said Senator Tom Udall, who sits on the Senate Commerce Committee. "A clean and reliable wastewater treatment system is critical to protect the water quality in the area and ensure the continued success of the region's tourism and local businesses."
This new funding comes from the Department of Commerce's Economic Development Administration to aid with the disaster recovery and to sustain and expand the regional economy.
This latest round of funding comes in addition to the $9.7 million in USDA Rural Development funding that was awarded last year for the construction of a new wastewater treatment plant for the area through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, in addition to other federal, state, and local funds.