The DeWhite Utility District set to begin a project to replace some 7,000 feet of water lines.
White County Executive Denny Wayne Robinson said the money will be used to replace four inch pipes with six inch pipes southwest of Sparta. Robinson said the estimated 50-year old pipes are no longer serviceable.
“That is the place where this particular utility district’s having their most water leads, problems with pressure,” Robinson said. “They’re having to cut back the pressure since the lines are so old. So putting a new six-inch line through there will really benefit the people.”
Robinson said the DeWhite project will cost about $1.3 million dollars. Robinson said the money comes from the American Rescue Plan.
Robinson said the new lines along Disneyland Road will help with fire protection.
“It was hard to pump water due to the limited amount of pressure on those lines,” Robinson said. “So, it’s going to help in many ways, not only just to use more pressure in your faucet, but fire protection.”
Robinson said the state awarded White County some $4 Million in 2020 to invest in the county’s four utility districts. That included a 20 percent match.
“If the counties would use some of their ARPA money, the state would put in some of their ARPA mondy and just try to improve the water delivery system within the state,” Robinson said. “And so that’s, we jumped on that program. We thought that was a great way to invest our money. And so, thus the projects began.”
Robinson said the commission has already approved the funding resolution for BonDeCroft Utility District.
Robinson said the commission is waiting on the engineering plans to be completed from the work to be done at O’Connor Utility District and Quebeck-Walling Utility District. Robinson said once the commission gets the plans it can go before the commission for a funding resolution.
Robinson said the ARPA guidelines call for the money to be spent by December 31, 2026.
