Lieutenant Governor Coleman Announces $2.5 Million Funding for Infrastructure Improvements

Funding allocated to Boyle, Mercer and Washington counties

BOYLE, MERCER and WASHINGTON COUNTIES, Ky. (WTVQ)On Wednesday, Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman announced $2,591,699 in funding for Boyle, Mercer and Washington counties through Gov. Andy Beshear’s Cleaner Water Program and the Kentucky Cabinet of Transportation (KYTC) .

“Families in Kentucky deserve clean water – a basic human right – as well as access to safe, well-maintained roads, educational opportunities, and support when they need help,” said Governor Beshear. “Today’s investments show what we can achieve when we put our values ​​into action.”

“Investments in infrastructure, like high-speed internet, clean water, roads and bridges, provide Kentucky with a solid foundation to build tomorrow’s economy, today,” said Lt. Governor. Coleman.

The cleaner water program is funded by the American Rescue Plan Act and administered by the Kentucky Infrastructure Authority (KIA). According to Coleman, $250 million was earmarked for the close of the 2021 General Assembly through a bipartisan agreement for water and wastewater grants to fund projects throughout Kentucky. The Bluegrass Area Development District and the Lincoln Trail Area Development District submitted the funding request for this project to the KIA.

Boyle County

  • $1,103,985 was awarded to the Mercer County Sanitation District to improve protection of the health and water quality of Lake Herrington, which supplies water to four neighboring counties. The funding will eliminate 117 individual septic tanks and six holding tanks near Gwinn Island Road.

“Clean water is a vital necessity and an integral part of all healthy communities,” said Senator Rick Girdler. “I want to thank Boyle County for their hard work in making this a priority for their residents.”

“Today, Boyle County is receiving the funds needed to improve critical infrastructure in Kentucky,” said Rep. Daniel Elliott, whose district includes Boyle County. “The improvements that will come from the cleaner water program will help everyone in Boyle County and beyond. Funding for the program comes from ARPA funds the federal government gave us to help us recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, and the legislature voted to include some of that money in SB 36. Along with my colleagues, I voted to pass this budget with these funds in the hope that a program like this will come out of it. I am proud to be part of a legislature that works to improve the lives of every Kentuckian.

“I am very grateful to Lieutenant Governor Coleman and Governor Beshear for investing in Danville and Boyle County,” Boyle County Judge/Executive Howard Price Hunt III said. “Infrastructure investments like this ensure clean water for our citizens for many years to come. “It’s not just reassuring for them, but for me as well.”

Mercer County

  • $172,607 was awarded to the Mercer County Sanitation District to rehabilitate existing sewer infrastructure.
  • $167,607 was granted to the town of Burgin to relocate the fire hydrants to make them more accessible to fire trucks.
  • $147,525 was awarded to the Lake Village Water Association to replace water mains to reduce maintenance costs and improve customer service.
  • $215,165 was awarded to the City of Harrodsburg to rehabilitate equipment at three pump stations, realign sewers, and replace a water main and fire hydrants.
  • $102,608 was awarded to the North Mercer Water District to replace a water main serving the Brentwood Subdivision.
  • $238,000 was awarded to Mercer County through KYTC to resurface portions of Old Dixville Road.

“In my 11 years serving the Harrodsburg City Commission and now as Mercer County Judge/Executive, I have always known that nothing can have a more positive impact on the health, economy, the well-being of our children, our families and our community than access to good quality drinking water and sanitary sewer services,” said Mercer County Judge/Executive Scott Moseley. “We want to thank the Governor and Lieutenant Governor for this wonderful gift to help a very meaningful effort.”

“The City of Burgin is very grateful for this funding opportunity,” said Burgin Mayor Jim Caldwell. “This is a great example of state and local government working together to improve the daily lives of Kentuckians and an example of what the City of Burgin can achieve with simple steps to improve record keeping and proper accounting. “

“The North Mercer Water District would like to thank the governor and those involved in distributing these funds,” said Gerald Sheperson, chairman of the North Mercer Water District. “These grant funds will be used to replace water mains in the Brentwood area of ​​Mercer County. This will allow North Mercer to improve water service in this area which is prone to water main breaks due to aging infrastructure. Maintaining our infrastructure is a priority for the district. Good infrastructure limits water loss and labor hours and allows the district to operate more efficiently. This directly benefits our customers and the water rates they have to pay. On behalf of North Mercer Water District and our customers, once again, we say thank you.

Washington County

  • $444,202 was awarded to the Springfield Water and Sewer Commission to replace a water main and repaint water storage tanks. These are the Willisburg Tank, the Etown Road Tank and the Wesley Road Tank.

“Although I only represented Washington County for a short time due to redistricting, I want to thank you all,” Sen. Donald Douglas said. “I am grateful for the opportunity you have given me and I am thrilled with the funding that will be provided to you. I will continue to include all of Washington County as I work to strengthen our communities across the Commonwealth. grateful for the trust you have placed in me in the State Senate Thank you to everyone who made this possible.

“Washington County is receiving significant funding to improve parts of Kentucky’s infrastructure,” said Rep. Kim King, who represents Jessamine, Mercer and Washington counties. “The county is receiving just over $444,000 to ensure everyone has access to safe drinking water, and I am proud to be part of a legislature that supports improving the lives of people across the Commonwealth. .”

About the Cleaner Water Program
According to Coleman, more than $106 million has been awarded to grantees to fund transformative projects since the call for projects was announced on June 1. , worked with their local development districts and local water management boards to submit projects for clean water program funding. There are 713 water and wastewater utilities in Kentucky.

Funding for the Cleaner Water program is allocated in three ways:

  • $150 million based on each county’s proportion of the state’s population, except for Jefferson County’s share, which is reduced by 50% based on its high per capita allocation from federal law . A list of allowances by county can be found here.
  • $50 million is available for utilities to provide drinking water services to unserved rural customers or utilities under a federal consent decree. The KIA must consider social, economic and environmental benefits in determining allocations.
  • $49.9 million is available to complete a project grant for a project whose cost exceeds a county’s allocation amount and other available grant sources. Social, economic and environmental benefits should be considered in determining project allocations. KIA will receive $75,000 to administer the grant program.

The American Society of Civil Engineers in 2019 projected that Kentucky would face nearly $14.5 billion in water and wastewater infrastructure needs over the next 20 years, including more than 8, $2 billion in drinking water improvements and $6.2 billion in sewage system improvements.

Information about the Cleaner Water Program, as well as grants for expanding high-speed internet, upgrading school facilities, and renovating vocational education centers, can be found HERE.

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