May 9--OAKVALE -- A $700,000 federal funding award will help to provide safe drinking water to more than 300 citizens in Mercer County who are currently on well water, U.S. Rep. Nick Rahall, D-W.Va., said Friday.

Rahall said the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has approved $700,000 in funding through the Section 340 of Southern West Virginia Environmental Infrastruct-ure Program for the Oakvale Road Public Service District Southeastern Mercer/ Summers Regional Water Project.

"No one understands the importance of a strong and sound water and wastewater program more than West Virginians," Rahall said. "The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers works tirelessly to help ensure that residents in southern West Virginia have access to clean, healthy water and modern wastewater systems."

The funding will be used for phase 4-A of the project that will serve the Poplar Grove, Oakvale and Cheesy Creek communities.

"This is wonderful news for the citizens affected by this project," Pamela Browning, manager of the Oakvale PSD. "It is a step forward and we thank Congressman Rahall and his office for all of the support they have given us.

The PSD hopes to have the project under construction by February or March of next year, David Cole, of the Region One Planning and Development Council, said.

"We are just really thankful that we got it, and we really appreciate the congressman's support and efforts," Cole said.

Cole said the citizens living in the project 4-A service area are all on private wells.

"There are two problems," Cole said. "It's an inadequate water supply in the Poplar Grove case, and when you get down to the Oakvale and Cheesy Creek case, there may be adequate water supply, but we've found sometimes the wells may be contaminated. Everyone in the town of Oakvale is on wells."

Cole said the project also could help to spur some economic development in the interchange area around Oakvale and U.S. Route 460.

The Southeastern Mercer/Summers Regional Water Project is a public-private partnership with the West Virginia American Water Company, the Summers County Commission, the Mercer County Commission and the Oakvale Road PSD. The project has been in development since 1992.

-- Contact Charles Owens at cowens@bdtonline.com

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