Pell City has been awarded a $500,000 Community Development Block Grant.

City Manager Brian Muenger said the funds will be used to install 7,000 linear feet of 12-inch water main on Golf Course Road and Stemley Bridge Road. This will replace an 8-inch main, which was undersized and prone to breakage.

The city was able to present the case that replacing this line constitutes an enhancement to the city’s fire flow. Frequent breakage of the main hinders the ability to fill the Woodhill Water Tank, which limits fire suppression capabilities city-wide.

Muenger said they were able to make a compelling argument to receive the grant because the utility department was able to provide detailed records on the number of main breaks and the length of the service interruptions caused by those breaks.

The award is made possible by funds received by the Alabama Department of Economic Community Affairs from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The grant will be supervised by the Community and Economic Development Division of ADECA.

The city was funded for CDBG improvements at the wastewater plant in 2020. Between these two applications, the city will have $950,000 in outside funding to help with improvements to the utility that would otherwise be solely at the expense of the city.