 Eastern Kentucky PRIDE recently announced the recipients of the 2006 PRIDE Wastewater Construction Grants. Five cities were awarded grants that totaled $1.7 million.
The grants will improve or expand sewer service to 587 homes in the region. About one-half 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.
Congressman Hal Rogers (KY-5), who founded PRIDE, commended the cities that received grants for pursuing sewer projects that will benefit local homeowners, as well as the environment that we all share. “Public sewer service is the most reliable way to treat wastewater,” Rogers said, “and I’m sure homeowners will gain peace of mind when they connect to this new sewer line. For the entire community, these projects mean cleaner waterways and more infrastructure for new businesses.”
In Adair County, the City of Columbia was awarded $345,000 toward a $1,060,000 project that will extend sewer lines to 85 homes in the Green Hills subdivision, which has problems with failing septic systems. The Appalachian Regional Commission will contribute $500,000 to the project, and the city will provide the remaining $215,000.
In Harlan County, the City of Harlan and KCEOC Community Action Partnership received a $134,706 grant to fund part of a $538,824 project. A sewer line will be extended to 125 homes, the KCEOC Child Development Center and Hall Elementary School in the Grays Knob community. The city and Harlan County Board of Education will provide the rest of the project funding.
In Morgan County, the City of West Liberty will use a $400,000 grant to run sewer lines to 200 homes within the city limits. In the grant application, the city estimated that septic systems are failing at 50 of those homes.
In Whitley County, the City of Williamsburg was awarded $500,000 toward a $6 million project that will serve 130 homes along U.S. 25W and replace a failing wastewater treatment plant at Cumberland Falls State Park. The city is requesting the remaining project funds from a variety of state and federal agencies.
In Wolfe County, the City of Campton received $400,000 to provide sewer service to 47 homes along old Kentucky Highway 15, as well as the Kentucky River Community Care Facility. Septic systems at almost half the homes in the area do not function properly due to poor soil conditions.
The PRIDE Wastewater Construction Grant program pays up to 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 $116 million to provide sanitary wastewater treatment service to more than 27,000 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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