Leising: Senate District 42 awarded more than $2.5 million in infrastructure funding
STATEHOUSE (Aug. 6, 2020) — Communities in Senate District 42 were recently awarded funds to improve local water infrastructure, said State Sen. Jean Leising (R-Oldenburg). Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch and the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs (OCRA) recently announced 24 rural communities across the state will receive more than $15.3 million in federal grant funding.
The City of Connersville is receiving $700,000 for improvements to the city’s water system. This project will address a general lack of water pressure being experienced in the city and reduce the number of line breaks.
The Town of Lewisville is receiving $700,000 for water and sewer improvements. This project will build a new water treatment facility, eliminate dead ends within the system and replace several water meters. This will improve water quality, pressure fire flows, reduce regular maintenance and allow for efficient water use.
Ripley County is receiving $550,000 for water and sewer improvements. This project will install a chlorine disinfection system at the wastewater treatment plant, install an updated contact tank and construct a chemical building to house the feed pumps and storage tanks. Additionally, plant electrical improvements will be installed to include lagoon alarms and upgrading the plant’s electrical system to accommodate chlorine disinfection.
The City of Shelbyville is receiving $600,000 for flood drainage improvements. This project will construct a relief sewer for the undersized storm sewer main running throughout the city. This will help reduce flooding and surcharge that happens in short, heavy rain events, and help reduce residential and street flooding.
"I am grateful our district was able to obtain this financial assistance," Leising said. "I commend local leaders for their work to secure this funding and am confident this money will greatly help municipal budgets, which have been hit hard by COVID-19."
These grants were provided through the state's Community Development Block Grant(CDBG) program, which distributes federal funds to rural communities to assist with community projects. The second round of the 2020 CDBG program begins Aug. 24, with proposals due Sept. 24 and final applications due Nov. 20. For further information on the program, visit http://www.in.gov/ocra/3010.htm.
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