NICHOLASVILLE, Ky. (Sep. 21, 2012) – Funding was announced today for a new water distribution system for the city of Nicholasville in Jessamine County was announced today by Lt. Gov. Jerry Abramson on behalf of Gov. Steve Beshear.
The $391,000 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) will be used for the installation of new water lines, fire hydrants, valves and meters to upgrade the undersized and obsolete distribution water system within the Armory Place area of the city of Nicholasville. The city is matching the grant, making the total project cost $782,000.
“Effective, modern infrastructure is an imperative foundation for economic development and housing growth in Kentucky,” Abramson said. “This water distribution system project will provide a much needed upgrade to the city of Nicholasville’s current system and ensure that current and future residents and businesses will have safe, reliable access to water.”
The Amory Place portion of the Nicholasville water distribution system is one of the city’s oldest, having been installed in the 1920s. The project area only has five existing fire hydrants, none of which meet the minimum pressure or flow rates for new construction. The city’s fire chief has even cited that it is difficult to fight fires in the area due to lack of pressure. Further, the city has experienced 24 line breaks in the area since 2009, and continued line breaks can result in contamination and boil water advisories.
The new Armory Place Water Distribution System project will relieve the water pressure problems, line break issues, and health and safety concerns in the current outdated system. The new 4,437 linear feet of water line will serve nearly 200 area residents, of which 84 percent are of low to moderate income. The area residents’ water rates will not go up as a result of this project.
“High quality water is more than the dream of conservationists, and more than a political slogan. High quality water, in the right quantity at the right place and at the right time, is essential to health, recreation, and economic growth,” said Sen. Tom Buford, of Nicholasville. “I want to thank the Beshear Administration for making this grant available to the citizens of Jessamine County.”
“This is exactly the type of project that Community Development Block Grant funds are designed to complete,” said Rep. Bob Damron, of Nicholasville. “These improvements are long overdue and will have a substantial impact on the residents of this area.”
The project is scheduled to begin in May 2013, after the current school year is completed, so construction will not interrupt school and bus traffic in the area.
The state’s CDBG program is administered by the Department for Local Government and funded through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Kentucky’s Congressional leaders’ ongoing support of the CDBG program ensures the availability of continued funding in Kentucky and nationally.
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