(McAllen, TX) Senator Juan "Chuy" Hinojosa announced that the Texas Department of Rural Affairs has awarded $534,250 in grants to Jim Wells County. The County was awarded a Colonia Construction Fund grant in the amount of $500,000 for sewer improvements in 8 colonias. These funds shall replace substandard, failing on-site sewage facilities in areas that lack access to public sewer service by installing/replacing 80 on-site sewage facilities.

Jim Wells County was also awarded a Colonia Fund-Planning grant in the amount of $34,250 for planning studies for Owl-Ranch-Amargosa (Tecolote) Colonia.

"This is great news for Jim Wells County. Residents of these colonias will greatly benefit from the improvements. I applaud the Texas Department of Rural Affairs for recognizing the need for these projects." The funds are made available from appropriations for the Community Development Block Grant Program of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development. This program is administered for the State of Texas by the Department of Rural Affairs through the Texas Community Development Block Grant (TxCDBG) Program.

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