Medford, Rib Lake to receive federal help with planned water projects
Residents and businesses in Medford and Rib Lake will benefit from safe drinking water grant funds to help fund upcoming projects.
This week, Gov. Tony Evers, together with U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (DWisconsin) and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR), this week announced more than $273 million has been allocated to 86 municipalities through the Safe Drinking Water Loan Program (SDWLP) to improve drinking water quality for Wisconsinites. The funding will help municipalities across the state construct necessary water infrastructure projects.
They announced that Rib Lake will receive assistance for a $785,900 project to do rehabilitation on the village’s water tower. The city of Medford will receive assistance on a $2 million water project to construct well No. 14 to serve city utility customers.
“Across Wisconsin, countless folks and families worry about harmful contaminants like PFAS and lead every time they turn on their tap—and that is a reality we have been working hard to change,” said Gov. Evers. “I’m grateful to Sen. Baldwin and the Biden-Harris Administration for securing these funds th at will help reinforce our state’s water infrastructure and help us continue our work to ensure Wisconsinites have access to clean, safe water at home, school, work, and everywhere in between.”
“All Wisconsin homes, schools, and businesses should trust that the water coming out of their faucets is safe to drink, and these funds will help our families get that peace of mind,” said Sen. Baldwin. “I’m grateful to work with state and local partners to remove lead pipes, address dangerous chemicals like PFAS, and deliver clean water to families across Wisconsin.”
In total, Wisconsin has received over $330 million for water infrastructure under the BIL, with hundreds of millions more funding still to be allocated over the next few years. Last month, Sen. Baldwin announced Wisconsin is going to receive an additional more than $86 million through the BIL for water system upgrades. Additionally, Wisconsin has been a national leader in providing funding to replace lead service lines and was the first state to utilize SDWLP funds for this purpose. According to a 2023 report from the Wisconsin Policy Forum, more than 37,000 lead service lines have been replaced or turned off since 2018, which is more lines replaced or turned off in just five years than in the previous two decades.
The 2025 preliminary funding lists will be finalized following a 30-day window for municipalities to request a reevaluation of their priority score.
The SDWLP provides affordable financial assistance to municipalities throughout Wisconsin for drinking water infrastructure projects that protect and improve public health for current and future generations. Since the program began in 1998, the DNR and the Wisconsin Department of Administration have provided over $1.1 billion in financial assistance to Wisconsin municipalities.
