Standing at the water storage tank on Kelly Hill, one of the tanks to be refurbished as part of a major restoration project, from left, Haleyville Water Board Member Brian Berry; Water Superintendent Chad Tidwell; Lane Bates, Water and Sewer Board Manager and Haleyville Mayor and Water Board Chairman Dr. Ray Boshell.
HALEYVILLE- A resolution moving forward with a $3 million water improvement project received the go-ahead from the Haleyville Water and Sewer Board at their Tuesday, April 28, meeting.
The water system improvements will specifically include refurbishment of water storage tanks at both Fontaine and Kelly Hill, construction of a new Kelly Hill water booster station and a new water transmission main between the water storage tank at Kelly Hill that travels down 30th Street to the water tank at Lakeland Community Hospital, the resolution indicated.
“This will give a better supply of water to that tank,” pointed out Water Board Chairman Dr. Ray Boshell. “That’s one of those things you want to make sure, in case you have a fire, you have a good water supply. That will serve not only the hospital but that area of town.”
The project also includes new water mains along 21st Place, 19th Avenue and 16th Avenue in order to provide fire protection to the northwest side of Highway 195, the resolution added.
The resolution, approved on a unanimous vote by board members, also advised that under the Alabama Department of Environmental Management administrative code chapter 335-11-2, the State of Alabama has authorized the making of loans to aid in financing the infrastructure needed to be in compliance with the Safe Drinking Water Act.
Making a motion to approve the resolution was water board member Bobby Taylor, seconded by Glen Roberts, with all board members voting in favor, including Taylor, Roberts, Joey Harbin, Brian Berry and Boshell.
The resolution authorizes Water and Sewer Board Manager Lane Bates to file an application and/or all necessary paperwork for a loan to be made by the Alabama Water Pollution Control Authority, the resolution further noted.
“It’s been needed. The pump station is 50 years old,” said Bates after the meeting. “We need a new pump station.
“It’s one of the biggest project the water works has ever got,” Bates added. “We’ve been after it since 2022. It’s not a grant. It’s a loan, so there will be no free money on this.”
The loan will be handed down from the Environmental Protection Agency to ADEM, which will administer the $3,060,000 cost, which will be repaid over a 20-year period, Bates further explained.
See complete story in the Northwest Alabamian.
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