Press Room >> 2010 Press Releases

For Immediate Release
October 6, 2010

Athens County Receives $500,000 in Water and Sewer Funds
Grants to Improve Wastewater Treatment Plant

Columbus, Ohio – Ohio Department of Development Director Lisa Patt-McDaniel today announced that Athens County will receive a $500,000 grant from the federally funded Water and Sanitary Sewer Program, administered by the Department's Community Development Division, Office of Housing and Community Partnerships. The grant funds will be used to make improvements at the Trimble Township Wastewater Treatment District facility.

"The primary goal of the Water and Sanitary Sewer Program is to create safe and sanitary living conditions for Ohio's citizens," Patt-McDaniel said. "Through this grant, the wastewater treatment district will continue to properly dispose of sanitary waste well into the future."

The Trimble Township Wastewater Treatment District will replace the old lagoon liner and install headwork improvements needed to remove non-organic material that could puncture the new liner. The more than $1 million project will benefit 1,179 households in the area.

The Water and Sanitary Sewer Program is administered by the Ohio Department of Development's Office of Housing and Community Partnerships and helps local governments maintain, improve, and expand water and sanitary sewer systems. Applications for the program are accepted on a continuous basis and are rated against the following criteria: number of persons expected to benefit from the project; ability to leverage funds; program impact; program readiness; and the community's financial capacity and rate structure. Communities with documented health and safety concerns receive priority for funding.

The Office of Housing and Community Partnerships provides financial and technical assistance to units of local government and nonprofit organizations in Ohio for project activities that benefit low- and moderate-income citizens.

Working with partners across business, state and local governments, academia, and the nonprofit sector, the Ohio Department of Development works to attract, create, grow, and retain businesses through competitive incentives and targeted investments. Engaged every day in marketing, innovating, investing, and collaborating, the Ohio Department of Development works at the speed of business to accelerate and support the teamwork that is necessary for success by providing financial, informational, and technical assistance to those making an investment in Ohio's future.

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Media contacts: Katie Sabatino at (614) 466-6212
or the Communications & Marketing Office at (614) 466-2609