City gets $500,000 DNR grant

Wednesday, November 26, 2008 9:43 AM CST

The Missouri Department of Natural Resources director awards a $500,000 grant to the city of Ashland late Tuesday.

The city will use these funds for construction of a new well and a 500,000 gallon elevated storage tank on property south of the new Elementary School to improve fire protection and water capacity for continued growth of the city.

"John Fraga submitted a grant application for these funds," said City Administrator Chris Heard. "The fact that we were ready to bid and construct increased our eligibility to get these funds."

Heard said work will begin next week with drilling the well. The above-ground construction will begin in April or May.

This is the second project the city is working on with the $3,000,000 bonding authority the voters of Ashland approved in November 2006.

The grant funds come from a $50,000,000 bond sale in November of 2007, which funded Governor Matt Blunt's Clean Water Initiative for water and wastewater improvements. The grant will be used in conjunction with matching funds from a loan provided through the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund program and funds from the City of Ashland. The project is estimated to cost $1,751,800.50 and is expected to be completed in December 2009.

The Department of Natural Resources' Water Protection Program will administer the grant funds.

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