Close This Window
Print This Window

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has announced the selection of more than $123 million in water and environmental projects that are being funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Among them is a major improvement project slated for Linn-Livingston PWSD No. 3, which will receive a $1.9 low-interest government loan and a $1.4 federal grant for improvements to its water system.

According to Tom Burtch, president of Linn-Livingston PWSD No. 3, the funds will be used to purchase and install a new, 200,000-gallon storage tank, dig a new well, replace a long stretch of water line and make improvements to the plant in Wheeling. “This will be the biggest improvement project we have ever had,” Burtch said.

The water district stretches from nine miles east of Chillicothe, south to Fountain Grove, west to Medicine Creek, east to the Locust Creek bottoms, north to Rout MM and four miles north of Route 5. The water district, Burtch said, serves around 530 customers and sells water to the small communities of Laredo, Wheeling and Linneus. The system, which was originally set up to handle around 400 customers, is struggling to keep up with the demand of its customers and with the maintenance necessary to keep the system up and running. "We don't have enough storage capacity," Burtch explained.

The new storage tank will help, Burtch said, adding that a site has not yet been selected for it. The water district will also dig another well to gain more volume. The water district, Burtch noted, will have to conduct some test drilling to see where the well will be located. The funds will also be used to replace eight miles of 8-inch water line beginning northeast of Wheeling and running to the Eversonville tower, north of Wheeling. Improvements to the water district's plant in Wheeling is also planned.

Once the project is finished, Burtch said, customers of Linn-Livingston PWSD No. 3 will likely experience better service. Currently, the water district's customers use about 175,000 gallons of water a day, or around 5 million gallons a month. To begin the project, Burtch said, an environmental study must be completed - a process expected to take 60 days. Then, the district will be ready to advertise for bids. Construction, he said, will likely start next spring.

The total cost of the project, Burtch said, is around $2.5 million. Specifically, Linn-Livingston PWSD No. 3 will receive a $1,955,000 low-interest government loan and a $1,414,030 federal grant for the water system. Despite improvements, Burtch said, water district customers should not expect to receive an increase in their rates.