The Town of Jonesville is hoping to make improvements to its waste water treatment plant by winter and avoid possible water quality issues that could result in fines.
Jonesville Town Council held a brief council meeting Tuesday evening, during which Mayor Ernest Moore informed the council of a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) the town received in order to facilitate upgrades to its waste water treatment plant.
“Our sewer treatment plant is just about obsolete,” Moore said. “We hope to get started as soon as possible. We would love to have the upgrades in place before the winter months set in.”
Moore said the upgrades are time-sensitive because of ammonia levels in the water, which are more difficult to keep down during colder temperatures. In fact, the town was forced to pay a fine last winter because the ammonia levels in the water were too high, and Moore says he hopes the town will be able to avoid such fines in the future.
Jonesville’s grant — in the amount of $500,000 — will be matched with $50,000 in local funds. Repairs and upgrades will be made to aerators, curtain walls, liners and the sand bed at the waste water treatment plant. The plant’s access road will also be re-graded to allow for a new tar and gravel surface.
The project will benefit 981 people, 512 of whom are low- to moderate-income.
Moore said the grant was a competitive one and he is thankful for it.
“This will really mean a lot to the Town of Jonesville,” he said.
Moore will meet with engineers and representatives from the Catawba Regional Council of Governments on Aug. 30 to discuss a start date for the upgrade process.
By Derik Vanderford, Reporting for The Union Daily Times
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