After eight long years, Conger is almost done with its waste water treatment and collection project, which will help the city maintain and hopefully grow, said Mayor Carla Lindeman.

Conger city employees and residents accepted a check Friday for $795,000, as a grant/loan combination, from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development program. The department also honored three homeowners from Conger who used Rural Development financing to connect to the new sewer system.

“We would not be able to survive without the grant,” Lindeman said.

The total waste water system project — including 85 home hookups to the main sewer line and a two-pond treatment system — cost nearly $2 million. Thirty more homes needed to be connected to the main sewer line, which Lindeman said should be complete in about a month.

The project was needed, Lindeman said, for the city’s survival.

In addition to the grant/loan combination from the USDA, Conger was awarded a grant of $544,875 from the Public Facilities Authority Total Maximum Daily Load program and a $583,000 grant from the Department of Employment and Economic Development’s Small Cities Development program.

“I’m just thankful we’re able to get these grants and loans to help Conger survive and hopefully thrive,” Lindeman said.

After the grants and loans, Conger residents still have to pay more than $50 a month to repay the loan and cover system operations.

The residents had a mixed reaction about the new waste water system, Lindeman said, because it’s an expensive project.

“Everyone knew it needed to be done,” she said, adding the city would have gone bankrupt if the project wasn’t completed.

Resident Pearl Nelson said she thinks the grants and loans are a good thing for the city because “otherwise it would have cost us more.”

Mary Behr was the first home connected to the sewer system this year and said she is happy the project happened for Conger because otherwise the city couldn’t grow.

“It will be able to now,” she said. “We couldn’t before because we didn’t have the sewer system.”

Homeowners were recognized Friday for their use of the Rural Development financing. Ida Hruza, Rolind and Patricia Somnis and Russell and Lavon Anderson received plaques and appreciation from the USDA representatives.

Since 2001, USDA Rural Development has invested $1.3 billion in Minnesota through its Single-Family Housing program and more than $223,000 through its water and wastewater programs. Rural Development has invested nearly $4 billion in Minnesota in the same time period.