Federal funding to be used to extend water lines to unserved households in Breckinridge County

HARDINSBURG, Ky. (WDRB) -- More than 100 Kentucky households that don't have access to reliable tap water will now have a new way of getting it.

Gov. Andy Beshear presented three awards Tuesday totaling more than $2 million for Breckinridge County communities.

The city of Hardinsburg received $1.3 million to extend waterlines to approximately 150 unserved households. According to the state, these homes currently rely on hauled water or groundwater wells, which can be unreliable and low-quality.

The areas impacted by this project are:

State Route 333 from U.S. Highway 60 to Bewleyville
A loop of state Road 2202 and state Road 2781 south of Irvington
Guston-Bewleyville Road
Mark's Ridge Road
Dents Bridge Road
Sienna Circle

The city of Irvington received $443,000 to extend a 4-inch waterline approximately 8,400 feet along Lon Dowell Road and Willis Jones Road. The project will provide clean water service to approximately 28 unserved households there.

"It means that over 120 families are going to have clean drinking water that come to their homes for the first time ever," Beshear said. "Clean drinking water is a basic human right, yet in the year 2022, whether it's here in Breckinridge County or the other day up in Boone County, there are homes — sometimes even schools — that don’t have that regular, safe access to water."

Funded by the American Rescue Plan Act and administered by the Kentucky Infrastructure Authority, $500 million has been appropriated through a bipartisan agreement with the General Assembly to provide clean drinking water and wastewater grants to fund projects across Kentucky since 2021.

In addition to the funds for drinking water, Breckinridge County also received $250,000 from the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet to resurface portions of four roads including Old Railroad, Dents Bridge, Old Kirk-Axtel and Tules Creek Roads.