The land of pure water landed a new industry to take advantage of that resource, and now a $300,000 grant awarded by Gov. Robert Bentley will help the business to grow and hire 100 employees.
The Community Development Block Grant awarded to the town of Autaugaville will enable Atagi Water, a plant that bottles water from local artesian wells, to expand its operations. Atagi, the Native American variation of the word Autauga, translates into “pure water.” Numerous artesian or free-flowing wells are found in the southern part of Autauga County.
“My administration is steadfastly committed to helping industries grow and create jobs,” Bentley said. “The expansion of this business is exciting news for Autaugaville and Autauga County, and I commend local leaders and company representatives for working to make this expansion a reality.”
State Sen. Bryan Taylor, who represents much of the Autaugaville area, lauded the grant as “great news” for the community and Autauga County.
“A hundred new jobs in Autauga County is like 1,000 new jobs in Mobile,” Taylor said. “The positive impact it will have on Autaugaville and Autauga County will be considerable.”
The CDBG funding will be used to extend the town’s sewer and water services to the business on Autauga County 165. The water services are required for fire suppression purposes.
Atagi Water purchased Autauga Springs, a water bottler at the same location that employed about seven people. Atagi Water plans to expand operations on the 10-acre site, construct additional buildings and substantially boost employment. The company’s goal is to bottle one million 16.9-ounce bottles of water a month and market their product for domestic and international distribution.
Bentley awarded the grant from funds made available to the state by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs is administering the grant.
ADECA administers a wide range of programs that support law enforcement, economic development, workforce development, recreation, energy conservation and water resource management.
Bentley notified Autaugaville Mayor F.B. Ward that the grant had been approved.
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Contact Jim Plott or Larry Childers