Press release from the City of Hendersonville:
The City of Hendersonville is pleased to announce that funding has been approved to complete water and wastewater improvement projects in the Ashe Street neighborhood and along Fourth Avenue East.
On Tuesday, March 19, 2019, Governor Roy Cooper released a list of 96 projects from across the state that are set to receive $127 million in loans and grants. The City of Hendersonville was approved for a loan from the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund in the amount of $812,000 and a loan from the Clean Water State Revolving Fund in the amount of $1.8 million.
“These areas have been in our Capital Improvement Plan for a number of years,” said City Engineer Brent Detwiler. He explained the existing water and sewer infrastructure in the Ashe Street neighborhood is aging and a replacement of the lines will improve the system and minimize the frequency with which crews are making repairs in the area.
The project description for the sewer infrastructure portion also includes rerouting and replacing portions of a sewer line that runs along Fourth Avenue East toward Jackson Park. Undersized and aging clay sewer mains will be replaced in addition to the replacement of aging brick manholes. A section of a “cross country” sewer main that receives significant infiltration and inflow will be abandoned and re-rerouted within public roadway right-of-way.
These replacement projects exist in areas of downtown that are ripe for commercial and residential revitalization. The plans are preliminary at this point, and City Engineer Brent Detwiler explained that once the city receives an official letter from the state, it is typically two years before construction will begin on the projects.
“Clean water is critical for our health and our economy,” said Governor Cooper in a release. “These funds will help communities improve their water and sewer systems to ensure clean drinking water, support good jobs, and be better able to withstand future storms.”
The press release from the Governor’s Office can be accessed at https://governor.nc.gov/news/nc-communities-get-127-million-improve-water-and-sewer-systems-protect-clean-water.
And Haywood County got their $50,000 grant to study regionalization between municipal systems after the last devastating drought. Hey, I wonder if we’ll find out what’s up with Buncombe County’s plan to study doing a study on trying to get water for Candler from Haywood County. Doesn’t sound like they have water to share with water-rich Buncombe, but it’s worth an ask I guess…