Monterey Seeking Grant For Water Line Project

Monterey hopes to install a new water line from South Holly Street to Bee Rock.

Town aldermen voted this week to submit pre-application for an Appalachian Regional Commission Grant that could potentially help fund the project.

Water Plant Supervisor Duane Jarrett said the eight inch line would go under the interstate and tie on to a line at Bee Rock.

“We’ve always been afraid if it breaks, it would take a long time to get water back down through there. That’s a scary situation if that were to happen,” Jarrett said. “It would put water at that exit for us. As of right now, you really don’t have water access if anybody was to come.”

Monterey grant writer Dawn Kupferer said the pre-application will not cost Monterey any money.

“The way they do it in Tennessee is you put in a pre-application and tell the governor what kind of project you want to do,” Kupferer said. “If they like it, they ask for a full application in the spring.”

If approved, the grant would fund half of the cost to install the new line. The pre-application had to be submitted by Friday, December 7th.