COAL GROVE – The village needs about $416,000 worth of improvements to its water and sewer systems.

Thursday, October 19, 2000

COAL GROVE – The village needs about $416,000 worth of improvements to its water and sewer systems.

And a state grant funding request submitted this week might bankroll the projects, Mayor Tom McKnight said.

"Of the two, water improvements are more urgent," McKnight said.

That’s because a water line underneath the railroad near the old Ford Brothers place poses risks and a lack of water pressure in the Christy Lane booster station area needs fixed, he said.

Also, outdated equipment, like an aerator at the water plant, needs replaced since most components have been in operation for almost 30 years, McKnight said.

"The grant won’t address line breaks but we listened to the advice of our water superintendent on what were our pressing needs," he said.

The Christy Lane portion of the project is important because that area of Coal Grove – already low on water pressure – will see the greatest housing growth, he added.

The water project totals $186,000, with $167,400 of it requested from the state’s Small Government Fund.

From the same fund, Coal Grove wants $206,000 out of $229,000 for a sewer system improvement project that will update the treatment plant’s technology, McKnight said.

The system, in operation since the mid-1980s, is starting to age, he said.

Engineers and the village’s sewer superintendent conducted a walk-through of the facilities earlier this year, identifying needs, the mayor said.

The village wants to replace grinder pumps that help remove sludge from trucks for treatment. The plant also needs a canopy over its drying bed, where the sludge dries prior to disposal.

"Really, this will help keep rates down by covering the expense of repairs," McKnight said.

The grants are ranked last on submission from Lawrence County to the Ohio Public Works Commission but McKnight called submitting the funding request a place to start.

"It’s a matter of going through the procedures, putting our name in the hat and keep on pushing," he said.

The grant requests will take time to process. Following local officials’ ranking of them and six others this week, district and state officials with the Ohio Public Woks Commission will analyze them.

"By the time it goes from here to the state, we may get a shot at it," McKnight said.