Palatka can move forward with two water projects now that city leaders know they’ll have the money to do them.
Public Works Director Jonathan Griffith said the city recently got word from the state that it will receive a $1.8 million disaster recovery grant that will be used to address flooding issues.
Palatka is also getting a $750,000 Florida Small Cities Community Development Block Grant that Griffith said will go toward fixing the pipes that carry drinking water.
“We’ve got over sixty miles of drinking water lines that need to be replaced — lines that are over 100-years-old that are constantly failing and causing disruptions in service. So we’re able to move forward with our capital replacement projects without having to raise rates to a point where people can’t afford it.”
Griffith said the drinking water project is shovel-ready. He thinks both projects will be completed within the next year and a half.
Palatka is one of 36 rural communities statewide and one of only three in Northeast Florida to share in $24 million worth of community block grants announced Friday by Governor Rick Scott.
Grants were also awarded for projects in Flagler County and Penney Farms in Clay County.
Contact reporter Cyd Hoskinson at choskinson@wjct.org, 904-358-6351 and on Twitter @cydwjctnews.
Photo used under Creative Commons license.
