Two area communities among 24 receiving more than $15 million

Two area communities will receive funding from the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs (OCRA) to improve water and wastewater infrastructure.

The towns of Coatesville and Ladoga will each receive $600,000 to improve their facilities.

They are two of the 24 rural Hoosier communities that will share more than $15.3 million in federal grant funds announced Thursday by Indiana Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch.

"By investing in our state's water infrastructure, we are laying the foundation for regional growth and prosperity,” Crouch said. "These grants are supporting projects that are crucial to rural communities' continual economic development and improving the quality of life for its residents.”

The State of Indiana distributes Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds to rural communities, which assist units of local government with various community projects such as: infrastructure improvement, downtown revitalization, public facilities and economic development.

The second round of the 2020 CDBG program begins on Aug. 24 with proposals due on Sept. 24 and final applications due Nov. 20. Only Wastewater/Drinking Water and Stormwater Improvement Program applications will be accepted for round two.

The Stormwater Improvement Program strives to reduce flooding, to cut stormwater treatment and energy costs, to protect rivers, lakes and vital landscape and generate jobs to spur economic revitalization.

The goals of the Wastewater/Drinking Water Program are to protect the health and environment, reduce utility rates for low-to-moderate income communities and improve rural infrastructure to enable long-term economic growth.

The following communities are beneficiaries of this program:

-- The Town of Coatesville is awarded $600,000 for flood drainage improvements. Project will assist in correcting widespread flooding in the town, improving water quality within the resident’s water wells, alleviating property damage and removing safety hazards due to failing ditches and culverts.

-- The Town of Ladoga is awarded $600,000 for water and sewer improvements. Project will install a wastewater collection pipe and disconnect two newly discovered non-wastewater sources. Additional improvements include rehabbing a secondary clarifier sludge line and adding an influent flow meter at the wastewater treatment plant.

-- Brown County is awarded $600,000 for flood drainage improvements. Project will aid the Town of Helmsburg by replacing old storm sewers.

-- The City of Shelbyville is awarded $600,000 for flood drainage improvements. Project will construct a relief sewer for the undersized storm sewer main running through the city.

-- The Town of Knightsville is awarded $600,000 for flood drainage improvements. Project will add more than 1,400 linear feet of stormwater piping to the current system.

-- The Town of Oaktown is awarded $600,000 for flood drainage improvements. Project will increase the size of three storm drainage infrastructures within the town.

-- The Town of Bloomfield is awarded $700,000 for improvements to the wastewater collection system and treatment plant. Manholes will be coated with a new lining application to address excessive infiltration.

-- The Town of Chrisney is awarded $700,000 for water supply and distribution improvements. Project will install a new disinfectant residual analyzer at the master meter and new upsized water lines.

-- The City of Connersville is awarded $700,000 for improvements to the city’s water system. Project will address a general lack of water pressure experienced in the city.

-- Crawford County is awarded $600,000 to construct a new water tank to supply customers served by the Patoka Water Co. The new tank will be built adjacent to the existing tank site, holding approximately 100,000 gallons of water.

-- The Town of Crothersville is awarded $700,000 for water and sewer improvements. Project will build a new wet weather overflow main.

-- The City of Delphi is awarded $596,233 for water and sewer improvements. Project will reconnect 56 services and replace various lengths of two-inch galvanized piping.

-- The Town of Fountain City is awarded $700,000 for water and sewer improvements. Project will replace all the existing cast iron water lines with new PVC lines.

-- The Town of Galveston is awarded $600,000 for water and sewer improvements. Project will improve water pressure, flows and fire protection throughout the service area.

-- The Town of Goodland is awarded $600,000 for water and sewer improvements. Project will replace 3,200 lineal feet of failing water lines.

-- The Town of La Crosse is awarded $700,000 for water and sewer improvements. Project will build a new water treatment plant, construct a distribution system and install new customer meters.

-- Lawrence County is awarded $600,000 for water and sewer improvements. Project will construct a new wastewater treatment plant and build an activated sludge wastewater treatment system.

-- The Town of Lewisville is awarded $700,000 to build a new water treatment facility.

-- The City of Monticello is awarded $600,000 for water and sewer improvements. Project will upgrade 4,000 lineal feet of water mains.

-- The Town of Morgantown is awarded $700,000 to improve the wastewater system treatment, add new gravity sanitary sewers, rehab existing manholes and upgrade the sanitary sewer system.

-- Ripley County is awarded $550,000 for water and sewer improvements. Project will install a chlorine disinfection system at the wastewater treatment plant.

-- The Town of Universal is awarded $550,000 for water and sewer improvements to install a raw water well and build standby power for all wells and the wastewater treatment plant.

-- The Town of Vevay is awarded $700,000 to rehabilitate the lift stations as well as upgrade the wastewater treatment plant.

-- The Town of Warren is awarded $700,000 to build a new water tower and to demolish the old tower.