On Friday, January 8, the Bureau of Reclamation announced that the Arkansas Valley Conduit (AVC) Project will be receiving an additional $250 million in funding. The funding will come from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. U.S. Senators John Hickenlooper and Michael Bennet have been advocates for both the bill and for more funding for the AVC. We passed the <i>Bipartisan Infrastructure Law</i> to finally deliver on promises to rural communities.  "In Colorado that means finishing the long-awaited Ark Valley Conduit and bringing clean, reliable drinking water to 50,000 people.The AVC is a 130-mile pipeline that will deliver fresh water to thousands of people east of Pueblo.According to the Southeastern Colorado Water Conservancy District, the pipeline will serve over 50,000 people, and supplement fresh water supplies. Currently, the existing water supplies contain "naturally occurring salinity or radionuclide contamination." The history of the AVC goes back to 1962 when Congress approved it as part of the Fryingpan-Arkansas Project.The Southeastern Colorado Water Conservancy District says it was never built because "of the inability of participants to repay construction costs." However, Congress amended the Fryingpan-Arkansas Project in 2009 to include a cost-sharing plan that allocated 65% federal and 35% local funding.After years of planning, the groundbreaking ceremony for the AVC happened on October 3, 2020. According to Senators Hickenlooper and Bennet, the project has received close to $500 million in funding over the years to continue its construction. For decades, Ive worked to secure investments and pass legislation to ensure the federal government keeps its word and finishes the Arkansas Valley Conduit.  This major Bipartisan Infrastructure Law investment will be critical to get this project across the finish line to provide safe, clean water to tens of thousands of Coloradans along the Arkansas River.The projected completion date for the AVC has not been released. _______Watch KOAA News5 on your time, anytime with our free streaming app available for your Roku, FireTV, AppleTV and Android TV. Just search KOAA News5, download and start watching.