Gov. Robert Bentley has announced $400,000 in funds for infrastructure improvements in Tallapoosa and Chambers counties.
The Tallapoosa County Commission and the city of Valley were awarded $200,000 each from the Appalachian Regional Commission. Tallapoosa County will use funds to provide public water to 50 households in the Micah Hill community while Valley will replace an aged and broken part of its sewage system.
“The Appalachian Regional Commission has made an important impact on the lives of Alabamians,” Bentley said. “I am pleased to be a part of this program and support the improvements it has helped make in communities.”
Residents in the Micah Hill community have been dependent on private wells and springs as their only source of water. As recently as 2000 and 2007, droughts resulted in wells going dry requiring the county to bring drinking water in on trucks to meet community needs. Recent tests also have shown that much of the well water has a tested positive for coliform bacteria making it unhealthy for consumption.
The project will involve installing 38,750 of six-inch water line in the area. Nine fire hydrants also will be added to improve fire suppression.
Valley will replace 3,210 feet of deteriorated clay sewer line that was installed as part of the Langdale textile mill nearly 100 years ago. The project area includes 50 households along 16th, 17th and 55th avenues and 56th Street.
Bentley notified Tallapoosa Commission Chairman Frank Tapley and Valley Mayor Leonard Riley that the grants had been approved.
Congress established the ARC in 1965 as a supplemental grant program to raise the standard of living, improve the quality of life and promote economic development in portions of the 13 Appalachian mountain states. Thirty-seven Alabama counties, including Tallapoosa and Chambers counties, are part of the ARC area and eligible for funding.
The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs administers the ARC program in Alabama.
ADECA manages a range of programs that support law enforcement, economic development, recreation, energy conservation and water resource management.
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Contact Jim Plott or Larry Childers