Lucas presented the check to project representatives at Foss Lake Reservoir in Custer County, where the funds will be used to replace the existing water treatment system.  The improvements will benefit residents in the communities of Clinton, Hobart, Cordell, Bessie, Arapaho, and Butler.  

“A water system that provides a reliable, safe source of water for these towns is essential to keeping them from literally drying up,” Lucas said.  “We recognized that an adequate water source is a vital part of keeping rural communities thriving, that’s why we devoted these resources in the rural development section of the Farm Bill to this endeavor.”

Lucas was heavily involved in the writing of the 2002 Farm Bill, and was a member of the Farm Bill Conference Committee, which worked on the final version of the bill passed by both the House and Senate and signed by the President.  Lucas is also chairman of the House agriculture subcommittee with jurisdiction over rural development issues, and the rural development section of the Farm Bill, which authorized the funding for the project.

“Since the turn of the century, when the first settlers staked their claim on the dusty plains of western Oklahoma, a clean and safe source of drinking water has been a necessity for survival,” Lucas said. “Today, rural towns still face the same challenges - trying to keep droughts from drying up reservoirs and working to provide an adequate supply of healthy drinking water.  These upgrades to the water treatment facility will help area residents continue to have a reliable source of water from their faucets.”