Lewisburg, Richwood water projects at front of line for state grants

Jun. 14—Lewisburg and Richwood will be getting multi-million dollar state grants to address municipal water projects — just two of three municipalities in the state to receive funding in the inaugural appropriation from the newly minted Economic Enhancement Grant Fund.

Gov. Jim Justice on Monday announced in a press release that, less than two months after calling a special session of the West Virginia Legislature to secure $250 million for the newly established Economic Enhancement Grant Fund, the program's first grant recipients were awarded a combined $12.8 million for three water and wastewater infrastructure projects across the state.

In Lewsiburg, the a $7.586 million grant was approved to improve the city water system which is a regional water supplier in Greenbrier County and serves approximately 12,000 people in Lewisburg, Ronceverte, Renick, Frankford, Maxwelton, Fairlea and Caldwell.

In total, this is a $63.468 million project.

Richwood received a $1.854 million grant for its Hinkle Mountain/Little Laurel water extension project. The $12.129 million project includes upgrades to the city's water plant and an extension of water service to 118 customers.

The third grant went to the Jackson County municipality of Ripley, which is receiving a $3.433 million grant to start construction on a wastewater treatment plant that will serve Ripley and the community of Evans. It will also allow the City of Ripley to permit new customers. The grant completes the funding for Ripley's $31.158 million project.

The Economic Enhancement Grant Fund is managed by the West Virginia Water Development Authority. Working together with the West Virginia Infrastructure and Jobs Development Council and the West Virginia Department of Economic Development, the fund will provide matching grants to municipalities for use in upgrading infrastructure such as water and sewer systems.

"This is something that I wanted to move on quickly, and that's exactly what we've done," Gov. Justice said in a press release. "We all know that we still have places in West Virginia where water and sewer access isn't as reliable as it should be. It's an issue that our people have dealt with for decades — long before I walked in the door as governor.