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Gov. Andy Beshear recently visited Jessamine County to announce the awarding of $1,987,430 to two water utilities and two cities in Jessamine County.

The funds will be used to deliver clean drinking water and improved sewer and water systems. They were awarded by the Better Kentucky Plan’s $250 million Cleaner Water Program.

Jessamine County Water District No. 1 will get $79,000 to upgrade the water main lines in the Vincewood Drive and Carolyn Lane areas, improving flow and fire protection for approximately 123 customers. The agency also will purchase new automatic meter reading technology.

City of Wilmore will receive $300,430 will be used to inspect and repair the city’s wastewater collection lines to reduce the infiltration of storm water and groundwater into the wastewater

The City of Nicholasville will receive $858,000 to address infiltration and overflows within its sanitary sewer collection system. The city will document the condition of the existing infrastructure, evaluate the data then identify and prioritize system improvement projects that address system deficiencies.

“The City of Nicholasville is very appreciative of these grant funds; we will put them to good use in upgrading our infrastructure to keep our waters clean,” said Nicholasville Mayor Pete Sutherland.

Nicholasville City Commissioner Alex Carter added, “The city strives to keep our water and sewer systems up to date. These Cleaner Water Grant funds will be a great help to rehabilitate aging facilities and keep our utility rates low.”

The funds will help identify and repair old sewer lines, said Bob Amato, Nicholasville’s public utilities director.

“We’re going to use this to identify and repair old lines that are anywhere from 40 to 80 years old,” he said.

Amato noted that every community had a problem with extra groundwater overloading its water and sewer system.

“These facilities are really expected to last anywhere from 50 to 80 years,” he said. “We’re meeting the lifespan now. So we have a lot of work to do.”

“I’m pleased by the legislative and executive branch’s unified efforts during the 2021 legislative session, which made today’s announcement possible,” said Sen. Donald Douglas, whose district includes Jessamine County. “We must come together to help our communities. Taxpayers of Kentucky do not work for government. On the contrary, government works for them. Funding for the Jessamine County Cleaner Water Program exemplifies that truth.”

Funded by the American Rescue Plan Act and administered by the Kentucky Infrastructure Authority (KIA), $250 million was appropriated at the close of the 2021 General Assembly through a bi-partisan agreement for clean drinking water and wastewater grants to fund projects across Kentucky.

“Building a better Kentucky means working together to find ways to improve our infrastructure where it’s needed most,” Beshear said. “Jessamine County’s growing economy and housing market need the support of a good water and sewer infrastructure, and these funds will provide both to our Kentucky families and businesses.”

Rep. Matt Lockett (R-Nicholasville) noted that the projects are something the county can be proud of.
“This is something that we, from Jessamine County — my own county — that we can be extremely proud of,” he said. “This is what we are about as a community. It’s coming together and providing for all of our citizens, so that all of us can have something as basic as clean drinking water. I’m super proud of our state. It’s great to be in the Commonwealth of Kentucky.”

“The Cleaner Water Program is essential in ensuring the residents of Kentucky receive clean drinking water and safer wastewater treatment plants,” said Rep. Kim King, whose district includes part of Jessamine County. “The money going to this project is funding from the federal government that the legislature included in last year’s budget, and the program is going to be extremely important in rebuilding parts of Kentucky’s water and waste water infrastructure.”

“We are grateful for the support of the Governor’s Office for the Cleaner Water Projects in Jessamine County,” said Jessamine County Judge/Executive David West. “I know that our four water districts will put this to good use serving the citizens of Jessamine County.”

News correspondent Nicole Bowman-Layton wrote this story for the Jessamine Journal.