DRAFFENVILLE- The need to provide Kentuckians with clean and potable water has been the topic of discussion in recent years with the issue taking center stage and becoming a primary talking point by local candidates during this year’s primary election in Marshall County.
Recent information from the state indicates significant funding totaling $17.5 million could be made available in the next state budget cycle for line-item grants to help run water lines to now-unserved and underserved Kentuckians through the Tobacco Settlement Agreement Fund.
The announcement was made recently during a meeting of the Kentucky Infrastructure Authority where it was stated that to date, KIA has funded over $3 billion in water and sewer projects through loans and grants, with actual line-item grants totaling $858 million.
In Marshall County, it is estimated that approximately 700 households out of a little more than 13,000 are still not connected to a public water system, many of which are dependent on wells that have already or are in the process of going bad.
Water Vision Coordinator and North Marshall Water District Superintendent Bobby Gifford reports it would take an estimated $10 million to get service to these unserved households – all located in the rural south end of the county which is primarily served by the Jonathan Creek Water District.
On the other end of the county, the North Marshall Water District currently has 5,500 customers with only approximately 1.5 miles of roadway without water service, all located in the Sharpe area. Gifford reports that those few customers will be brought on to the water system within the next year and a half.
Gifford, who has served in numerous capacities throughout his career – including water and waste water operator, sanitation commissioner, magistrate, county planner and governor’s liaison, has overseen the Water Vision 20/20 project in Marshall County since its inception.
Early on, he says state and federal funds for the project were abundant. “Today, that’s not the case. Monies are much harder to come by – the county has less and the state has less and less to spend on infrastructure. Other than fully financing water projects, which few can afford to do, this leaves entities with two main options – grant funding and bonding.
Gifford said a $10 million project such as Marshall County’s would cost an estimated $800,000 per year in bond debt service making it difficult for elected officials to find viable whole-project funding options for servicing areas without water.
While funding is certainly on the decline, Gifford has, in his tenor, brought in more than $13 million in grant funding for water projects including a $1 million Community Block Development Grant this past month that was first offered to a local water district then to the city of Benton. The grant, which carries an option of $500,000 in a 100 percent grant or $1 million in a matching grant, can be used to improve or extend lines.
While many cities and municipalities around the state are struggling financially in the wake of reduced funding, commissioners of the North Marshall Water District say they feel fortunate to have been able to re-stabilize their business and attribute their successes in recent years to Gifford’s knowledge of the field and ability to seek and find available funding.
Board Chairman Jerry Miller said, “Our Superintendent is amazing at being able to find sources of funding for water projects. He knows where there is money at the state and federal level and he has been very effective in getting it.
“He takes the lion’s share of the responsibility for our success,” he said adding the district has cut $200,000 in expenses over the past few years, partially funded a depreciation account and has paid off almost all of its debt. Additionally, the district is currently launching a $5 million dollar project in the lakes area replacing more than 20 miles of line that, due to excessive repairs, were costing the district over $150,000 annually.
“All of our decisions have been based on good sound engineering principles – we came up with an overall plan based on our hydrolic study with a delivery system for the whole outfit and we found we had some deficiencies,” NMWD Board Member Jamie Leonard said. “As a result of that, we have taken down one tank and are building a new tank that will help with water pressure and add to the quality of the whole delivery system.”
Leonard added, “Our governing principles that drive the decisions on this board are one: quality, two: reliability and three: that we deliver a good service at a good value. We have some of the lowest rates in the state of Kentucky and some of the best water.”
Gifford said today, most grant funding is tied to a rate or an entity having a rate structure making the county ineligible to apply. “Cities are not required to go outside of their boundaries and provide service to residents outside the city limits,” he added saying that in understanding this, the county has in the past “gone way out of their way to help county residents get water, $7 million dollars has been spent thus far.”
As for the ability to seek funding to help serve the 700 households still without water, Gifford said the most difficult issue to overcome for county residents is that the county is not a utility or service provider. He adds that he remains committed to seeking out every grand funding opportunity to help the county reach those who remain unserved and says he will be watching closely for potential funding which could become available in the next state budget cycle.
It is estimated that in the state of Kentucky, 5 percent (93,600 households or more than 234,000 people) are not connected to a public water system.