Wartrace awarded $298,750 grant
State Senator Jim Tracy (R-Shelbyville) announced on September 28 that Bedford County will benefit from the award of two major Community Development Block Grants (CDBG). Wartrace will receive $289,750 for sewer system improvements, while Bedford County will receive $390,000 to extend water lines.
“Clean, safe water is essential to any community,” said Senator Tracy. “We appreciate Governor Haslam and Commissioner Boyd for their assistance in acquiring this grant, as well as our local officials for their work on securing these needed funds.”
Mayor Thomas Hurt said, "The Town of Wartrace is very excited to get this grant. Our system has been long overdue for rehabilitation to address an inflow and infiltration problem in our collection system, so this grant will be very beneficial to our community. I want to thank Senator Jim Tracy and Rep. Pat Marsh for their efforts toward helping us secure the grant funding." Mayor Hurt also thanked Lorie Fisher of the South Central Tennessee Development District for her work.
The Town of Wartrace owns, operates and maintains a sanitary sewage collection system and has a lagoon type treatment plant. Over the past two years, collection system managers have been able to observe an inflow and infiltration problem that is getting worse. The high flows create overflows within the collection system and the overflows drain into Wartrace Creek which is on the 303(d) list as published by TDEC in 2014. The Town is looking to rehabilitate approximately 15,000 feet of collection line utilizing point repairs and cured-in-place corrections in areas where the existing piping is in a structural condition to do so.
"Infrastructure is very important to the well-being of our citizens and the economic development of our county," Tracy added. "This is a sizable grant award coming into one county. We are very pleased to receive it.”
Although 131 grant applications were received statewide, only 69 were successful. The funds were allocated under a procedure authorized by the Tennessee General Assembly. The Department of Economic and Community Development administers the grant program based on priorities set at the local level where community needs are best known.
Town officials accepted the grant from Governor Haslam on Wednesday, October 19. Pictured (l-r) are: Rep. Pat Marsh, Howard Walls (Wartrace Water/Sewer Manager), Ted Townsend (Deputy Commissioner of ECD), Lorie Fisher ( Community Development Director, South Central Tennessee Development District), Sen. Jim Tracy, Wartrace Mayor Thomas Hurt, Wartrace Alderman Barnett Payne, Peggy Payne (Member, Wartrace Utility Commission), Kimberley Kass (Wartrace Town Clerk), Kathy Tyson (Wartrace Town Recorder), and Governor Bill Haslam.