The City of Bowling Green is one of 90 projects receiving state grants to address critical water and wastewater infrastructure projects in Ohio communities. In total, 64 counties will receive $135 million.
The funding comes from Ohio Governor Mike DeWine’s Ohio BUILDS (Broadband, Utilities, and Infrastructure for Local Development Success) water infrastructure grant program, administered through the Ohio Department of Development.
The City of Bowling Green will receive a $1,182,741 grant to make upgrades to the water treatment plant’s aging low service pump station to improve water quality to the service area. Project activities include replacing stationary bar screens and slide gates at the inflow channels, two traveling screens, four raw water vertical turbine pumps, the motor control center, and heating and ventilation equipment. New drives and controls will also be provided to allow remote operation and monitoring. The project will also include general rehab to the pump station structure, including painting, roof replacement, concrete repair, and more. The project will benefit 46,578 people.
“From the first dollar awarded through this program to now, we’ve made hundreds of transformative investments in the future of our communities,” said Gov. Mike DeWine. “Having a strong water infrastructure not only safeguards the health and well-being of our residents, but it makes our neighborhoods more resilient and better prepares local leaders for sustainable economic growth.”
Today’s announcement is the fifth round awarded through the program, which opened in July 2021. In total, nearly $500 million has been awarded to 343 critical infrastructure projects through the Ohio BUILDS water infrastructure grant program.
“This additional round of funding will help communities from one corner of the state to the next replace aging, overwhelmed infrastructure, ensuring that Ohioans have access to clean drinking water,” said Lt. Gov. Jon Husted. “These projects will not only greatly improve the quality of life for residents in these areas, but they also boost economic growth related to business expansion and housing development.”
In total, the program received more than 1,200 grant applications requesting nearly $1.4 billion in funding.
Funds awarded today will help reduce or eliminate the local financial burden associated with critical infrastructure needs such as the construction of new water systems, the replacement of aging water lines, and the installation of new water mains. Grants will also fund projects to prevent sewer system backups and replace failing household sewage treatment systems with new sewers.
“The City of Bowling Green is thankful to the Ohio Department of Development for these grant dollars,” said Mayor Mike Aspacher. “The funds will benefit our community for years to come and strengthen our ability to provide high quality drinking water to our citizens and customers.”
The Ohio BUILDS water infrastructure grants are a continuation of the H2Ohio initiative, which launched in 2019 to focus on ensuring plentiful, clean, and safe water for communities across the state.
Ohio BUILDS focuses not only on strengthening Ohio’s communities through water infrastructure upgrades, but also supports other necessary investments in targeted solutions that impact quality of life such as broadband expansion, brownfield redevelopment, the demolition of blighted buildings, and more.
