Fentress Gets $1.4 Million Grant To Study Water Supply

Fentress County has received a $1.4 million USDA grant to study the county’s water supply and how it could impact development.

Industrial Development Board Member Dwight Dixon said the study will come at no cost to the county. He said USDA wants to help rural communities understand another important aspect of recruiting industry.

“We don’t know what the study will find or tell us, but they’re going to look at all different avenues to see how we can supply and have better water coverage for everybody in the county,” Dixon said.

The Industrial Development Board wanted the study to see what the community’s water needs are and how capacity could impact industrial and other forms of development.

Dixon said the grants are very competitive and many communities get turned down. Dixon said the USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service funded the grant.

“That’s where these funds are coming from,” Dixon said. “We’re excited that they’re going to do this study.”

Engineering firm Athena will begin work on the study in the coming weeks.