Press Release

U.S. Department of Commerce Invests $1.5 Million to Establish a Water Treatment Facility to Support Business Growth in Waynesboro, Georgia

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo announced that the Department’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) is awarding a $1.5 million grant to the city of Waynesboro, Georgia, to establish a water well and water treatment facility needed to accommodate local business needs. This EDA project, to be matched with $1.5 million in local funds, is expected to create nearly 200 jobs and generate $60 million in private investment.

“The Biden Administration is committed to ensuring that American communities are provided with the resources they need to diversify and grow their economies,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo. “This EDA investment will support a new dairy processing and packaging plant in the Waynesboro-Burke County Industrial Park and future business needs to create economic opportunity and jobs for local citizens.”

“This EDA investment will upgrade critical public infrastructure in Waynesboro,” said Dennis Alvord, Acting Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development. “These improvements will ensure that Waynesboro has the capacity to provide reliable water and sanitation service to businesses and the ability to spur economic growth.”

“This massive investment in Waynesboro will help create nearly 200 new jobs, stimulate the local economy, and help us recover from the pandemic,” said Senator Jon Ossoff. “I'm proud to work with Secretary Raimondo to deliver this funding to Georgia.”

“When we invest in our state’s infrastructure, we help protect the dignity of work by creating more good-paying jobs that will help Georgians thrive,” said Senator Raphael Warnock. “I am grateful to see these federal investments flow to strengthen our economy here in Georgia and help foster economic growth that is here to stay. Waynesboro’s new water treatment facility will have a positive, tangible impact on our coastal communities and provide a safer water supply for this important Georgia community.”

This project was made possible by the regional planning efforts led by the Central Savannah River Area Regional Commission, which EDA funds to bring together the public and private sectors to create an economic development roadmap to strengthen the regional economy, support private capital investment and create jobs.

About the U.S. Economic Development Administration (www.eda.gov)
The mission of the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) is to lead the federal economic development agenda by promoting competitiveness and preparing the nation's regions for growth and success in the worldwide economy. An agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce, EDA makes investments in economically distressed communities in order to create jobs for U.S. workers, promote American innovation, and accelerate long-term sustainable economic growth.