The Tribune-Democrat
CARROLLTOWN —
“It will mean everything to us – change our whole lifestyle,” Flo Symosky said Thursday about new water lines that will be coming to her home.
She and her husband, John, have lived without suitable running water to their West Carroll Township home since their well went dry three weeks after moving in in 1984.
Since then, they’ve done everything imaginable, from using acid-mine water for toilets, to having H20 trucked in by the fire company to – for the past 10 years – hauling in 55-gallon drums from a spring. And they have to boil that.
These struggles will become a thing of the past by 2012 when a new $9 million water system comes on line and takes in their home, along with 80 other new residential hookups. The Symoskys were among several dozen people attending a check presentation for the project Thursday at the Bakerton water treatment plant.
A check for $8.9 million was presented by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to John Thurman, chairman of the West Carroll Township Water & Sewer Authority.
The money represents a
$5.2 million grant and a
$3.6 million loan.
The new plant will replace two obsolete plants that are nearly 40 years old and serve more than 400 homes. About
3 miles of new and replacement pipelines will take in the extra households. In addition, the township will dredge and install an intake system at the St. Benedict reservoir to improve water quality and pressure.
Groundbreaking is slated for spring 2011 and construction should take perhaps 18 months.
“They don’t have fire protection in St. Benedict,” Thurman said.
“When we’re done, they will.”
Among the officials on hand was Thomas Williams, the Pennsylvania director of USDA Rural Development.
“Every project tells a story, and this project tells a special story,” he said.
“This is a major job” that would not have happened without the stimulus money coming from Washington, he said.
“It’s very, very long overdue.”
Jonathan Adelstein, administrator of Rural Utilities Service for USDA Rural Development, said the Carrolltown project was one of 69 announced nationwide Thursday totaling $269 million.
He said it was fitting that the project was announced on the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, which he credited for the creation of the EPA and major clean air and water legislation in the U.S.
