Six Wisconsin communities are getting help from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to upgrade their water and wastewater systems. In the case of one northern city, its infrastructure is more than 100 years old.

The USDA Rural Development program awarded more than $300 million in loans and grants for water and wastewater projects across the country.

The city of Ashland is one of the Wisconsin recipients, and Public Works director Ray Hyde said Ashland isn't unique in its need for dramatic utility updates.

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"Communities need to know the value of their infrastructure, and certainly loans like this, grants like this specifically, really help these small communities that have a low-medium income in town. It's the only way they'd ever get these projects done," Hyde said.

Ashland will receive around $2.2 million in financial assistance to replace infrastructure originally installed in the early 1890s.