This story originally appeared in the Sept. 22 issue of the Community Voice. For your own subscription, call 270-384-9454
A major water project that will serve the Knifley community will be funded through federal grants awarded to the Columbia Adair Utilities District.
The district had already learned that it would be awarded $705,214 for the project and just recently learned that another $1.14 million in grant funding will be awarded through the federal Cleaner Water Program, which is fund- ed by the American Res- cue Plan Act.
A water line feeds the area north on Hwy. 551 from Columbia but ends south of Plum Point bridge. A line that serves most of the area north of the bridge comes from Ky. 206 and 76, then Ray Williams Rd. and Caldwell Ridge, then on through Knifley.
“Right now if we have a leak ,or if we have a main line break, Hwy. 76 off 206 and all the way down through Knifley, those people are out of water,” said Lenny Stone, manager of the utilities district.
Stone said they will consider whether the project would be cheaper to bore underground to cross the water or hook lines under the bridge. They may bid the project two different ways and see which is more feasible.
The project will also include maintenance for a tank on Caldwell Ridge, which is the first tank constructed for the county water system, Stone said. They will also replace a pump station in the area.
Stone said the project will provide better water pressure for the area plus link the area better into the system so that the it’s less likely something could happen to leave the area without water.
“This is the only area in the county that is like that. If something happened like that we would have to depend on Campbellsville, and Campbellsville couldn’t serve it all,” Stone said. Stone said total funding for the project is $1,853,471. It will not get underway until 2023, he noted.
By Sharon Burton
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