Two local villages in Champaign County will receive a total of $5.35 million to improve their water systems. Christiansburg and St. Paris will replace water lines that lead to homes and run beneath U.S. Route 36.
These grants are part of the Ohio Broadband, Utilities, and Infrastructure for Local Development Success (BUILDS) program. The fourth round of grants will give $114 million to 58 Ohio counties for water system improvements.
Spencer Mitchell, the Village Administrator for St. Paris, said the money will cover most project costs. “I think it’s a great thing for Champaign County as a whole. It’s state money that’s coming back into our local communities, and we’re gonna use this to ease the financial burden of our community residents and our taxpayers.”
St. Paris officials estimate the project will cost $1.6 million, $100 thousand more than the grant will cover. Officials in Christiansburg expect to remain within the budget, but rising inflation may increase the project’s cost.
The grant money will replace old pipes and valves placed in the 1940s. They frequently break because they are too small and weakened by lime buildup. The grant will also install a new water meter system and fire hydrants. The county will remove any lead pipes found leading up to the property lines.
Nathan Morris, the Christiansburg City Council President, says the project will provide residents with reliable water. “We want to have clean drinking water for the residents and to not have to worry about disruptions.”
Both villages are in the planning phase of the project. Residents will experience brief water shuts off during construction, but Route 36 will remain open to traffic.
Other Ohio counties receiving grants:
Clermont
- Williamsburg - $509,408
Darke
- Astonia - $750,000
- Wayne Lakes - $3,350,000
Greene
- Spring Valley - $595,000
Hamilton
- Whitewater - $5,000,000
Mercer
- Chickasaw - $208,500
- Fort Recovery - $1,250,000
Montgomery
- Brookville - $1,007,065
Preble
- Eaton - $105,000
- Lewisburg - $1,500,000
Warren
- Waynesville - $499,750