$7 million to 7 western KY counties for cleaner water, better roads, more

(KBSI) – More than $7 million in funding will go to seven western Kentucky counties to provide for cleaner water, better roads, vocational education and community development.

Kentucky Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman announced more than $7,095,000 in funding to Ballard, Caldwell, Calloway, Carlisle, Christian, Fulton and Hickman counties.

The funding comes through Gov. Andy Beshear’s Cleaner Water Program, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC), a Better Kentucky Plan program that provides funding for Local Area Vocational Education Centers (LAVECs), and the Department for Local Government’s Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program.

The Cleaner Water Program is funded by the American Rescue Plan Act and is administered by the Kentucky Infrastructure Authority (KIA). At the close of 2021 General Assembly session, $250 million was appropriated through a bipartisan agreement for clean drinking water and wastewater grants to fund projects across Kentucky. The Pennyrile Area Development District and Purchase Area Development District submitted the funding request for these projects to the KIA.

Lt. Gov. Coleman presented the following awards:

Ballard County

• $72,424 to the City of Barlow to improve various components of the existing wastewater treatment plant.
• $72,424 to the City of Kevil for improvements to the existing wastewater system.
• $72,424 to the City of La Center for replacing cement waterlines and replacing customer water meters.
• $72,423 to the City of Wickliffe for expansion of water lines to support industrial expansion.
• $68,896 to Ballard County Schools through the Better Kentucky Plan for renovation of the Ballard County Career and Technology Center.

Kentucky school districts were awarded $75 million to upgrade LAVECs. The grants were approved by the Kentucky School Facilities Construction Commission Board.

Caldwell County

• $220,000 to Caldwell County to replace aging hydrants that are no longer functioning and to install a control valve at the Hopkinsville Road Tank.
• $220,000 to the Princeton Water & Wastewater Commission for improvements at the wastewater treatment plant.
• $28,147 to the City of Fredonia to install valves along the water line from the interconnection with Eddyville to Fredonia to isolate leaks.
• $530,000 was given to Caldwell County Schools through KYTC school safety funding to install turn lanes near Caldwell County Elementary School.
• $88,300 to Caldwell County through KYTC to resurface portions of Old Madisonville Road and Rufus Road.

Calloway County

• $932,352 to the City of Murray to relocate the 4th Street water main.
• $300,000 to Dexter-Almo Heights Water District to extend water service to 60 unserved houses.
• $200,000 to South 641 Water District for improvements to prevent collapsed water lines.

Carlisle County

• $325,801 to Carlisle County through KYTC to resurface portions of Hopewell Road, Kindell Road, Mayfield Church Road, Old Clinton Road, Sawmill Road and St. Charles Road.
• $174,816 to Milburn Water District to replace aging waterlines.

Christian County

• $1,185,370 to the City of Hopkinsville to replace water meters, rehabilitate sewer manholes and construct a new pumping station.
• $1,133,549 to Christian County Water District to extend water lines along rural roadways to reached unserved families.
• $268,835 to the City of Oak Grove to replace 150 commercial meters.

Fulton County

• $109,609 to the City of Fulton to replace a sewer lift station to avoid sewer backup in residential homes.
• $109,609 to the City of Hickman to replace the pump station that services Brownsville.

Hickman County

• $160,860 to the City of Columbus for repairs to the water treatment plant.
• $750,000 to Hickman County, along with Mission House, through a Community Development Block Grant for a center serving as the central hub for the distribution of commodities to residents of Hickman County.

The Department for Local Government administers approximately $26 million annually from the U.S. Housing and Urban Development Community Development Block Grant program. The CDBG program provides assistance to communities for use in revitalizing neighborhoods, expanding affordable housing and economic opportunities, providing infrastructure and/or improving community facilities and services.

More than $106 million has been awarded to grantees to fund transformative projects since the call for projects was announced June 1. Eligible government agencies, such as city-owned water or sewer utilities, water commissions, water and sewer districts and counties, collaborated with their local Area Development Districts and Area Water Management Councils to submit projects for Cleaner Water Program funding. There are 713 public drinking water and wastewater utilities in Kentucky.

Cleaner Water program funding is allocated in three ways:

• $150 million based on each county’s proportion of the state’s population, with the exception of Jefferson County’s share, which is discounted by 50% based on its high per capita allocation from the federal act. A list of the allocations by county can be found here.
• $50 million is available for utilities to provide drinking water services to unserved, rural customers or to utilities under a federal consent decree. The KIA shall consider social, economic and environmental benefits in determining the allocations.
• $49.9 million is available to supplement a project grant for a project with a cost in excess of a county’s allocation amount and other available grant sources. The social, economic and environmental benefits shall 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 faces nearly $14.5 billion in water/wastewater infrastructure needs over the next 20 years, including over $8.2 billion in drinking water upgrades and $6.2 billion in sewer system improvements.

Visit governor.ky.gov/BetterKy to learn more about the Cleaner Water Program, as well as grants for high-speed internet expansion, school facility upgrades and vocational education center renovations.