Eight miles of water lines will serve 228 homes

Contact:  Linda Potter 502-564-6940

WHITESBURG, Ky., (Oct. 17, 2007) – Residents in Letcher County are the latest Kentuckians to benefit from Governor Ernie Fletcher’s goal of providing access to clean, safe drinking water to all citizens across the state.

Teresa J. Hill, secretary of the Environmental and Public Protection Cabinet, today announced funding of a water supply project to serve those residents. Jay Whitehead, EPPC Office of the Secretary, presented a check for $630,000 to the Letcher County Fiscal Court for the project. 

A groundwater contamination study funded by the Division of Abandoned Mine Lands (AML) found pre-1982 mining had impacted much of the groundwater in the Crafts-Colly watershed of Letcher County.

“These projects involve the construction of nearly eight miles of water main and the installation of meters to serve 228 residences whose water supply has been impacted by mining,” Hill said. “These extensions will replace tainted well water, giving citizens the assurance they will have safe water in their homes.”

The project will be conducted entirely in Letcher County and the Letcher County Water and Sewer District will operate the new water line system.

“A priority of our administration has been to extend water lines to citizens and provide them access to a safe water supply,” said Governor Fletcher. “As a result, 92 percent of Kentuckians now have access to a community water system, a 10 percent increase since 1999.”