 On Oct. 17, 2005, U.S. Rep. Hal Rogers (KY-5) announced recipients of the 2005 PRIDE Wastewater Construction Grants. The announcement was made during a press conference at The Center for Rural Development in Somerset.
PRIDE awarded six grants totaling $3.8 million. The grants will improve or expand sewer service to 788 homes in the region. About one-third of these homes currently rely on malfunctioning septic systems, largely due to poor soil conditions, or “straight pipes,” which send untreated sewage into nearby waterways.
“Most people associate PRIDE with volunteerism and cleaning up illegal dumps, and those are important campaigns,” Rogers said. “In reality, the majority of PRIDE funds are invested in replacing the straight pipes and failing septic systems that pollute our waterways. We are working to provide every homeowner in the region with access to adequate wastewater treatment options, either a septic system that works properly or public sewer service. Given our rocky, hilly terrain, this is an expensive undertaking, but it is money well spent considering the health and economic benefits of these projects.”
Rogers announced funding for the following projects:
• In Bell County, the City of Pineville received $700,000 to extend sewer lines to 75 homes in the Dorton Branch area.
• In Floyd County, the City of Prestonsburg was awarded $686,210 to extend sewer lines to 68 homes in Town Branch. Upon completion of this project, all areas of Prestonsburg will have sewer service.
• In Harlan County, the City of Lynch will receive a $271,200 grant to install new sewer lines where the city’s 80-year-old system is disintegrating. New sewer lines will replace a non-functioning collection system, put in place when Lynch was a company town in the 1920s.
• In Lee County, the City of Beattyville will use an $841,500 grant to extend sewer lines to 95 homes along Highway 52.
• In Pulaski County, the City of Science Hill has been awarded $600,000 to serve 63 homes in the Maple Lane and Frog Hollow Road areas.
• In Rockcastle County, the City of Mt. Vernon received $750,000 to eliminate 35 straight pipes or failing septic systems along Lake Linville.
The PRIDE Wastewater Construction Grant program pays 100 percent of the cost to install new sewer lines. The program is intended to replace straight pipes and failing septic systems by making sewer service available to more people. Cities, counties and public utilities are eligible for the grants, which are awarded once annually. Through this and other grant programs, PRIDE has invested $111 million to provide sanitary wastewater treatment service to more than 26,000 homes in the region.
PRIDE — Personal Responsibility In a Desirable Environment — was launched in 1997 by Rogers and the late General James Bickford, former Secretary of the Kentucky Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Cabinet. In 38 counties in southern and eastern Kentucky, PRIDE is cleaning waterways, ending illegal dumping, and promoting environmental awareness and education. PRIDE is funded by a grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
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