For over 40 years, the residents of Piney View and surrounding areas have wanted public sewer access. Now, with help from the Raleigh County Commission and the American Rescue Plan Act, it looks like they will have it.
Jay Quesenberry, Raleigh County Administrator, explained that 120 homes from Piney View to Batoff Mountain will benefit from the sewer project, approved by the commission during their Tuesday meeting.
$1.2 million in funding came from the American Rescue Plan Act and additional funding from the Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation Program will be provided at a later date, Quesenberry said.
“It’s a needed investment and we are happy to see an improvement to the community and to the lives of those living there,” Quesenberry stated. “We want residents to have a good quality of life, not just for the people of Piney View, but everybody.”
He added that the sewer project will help decrease septic pollution throughout the area and will give people “peace of mind.”
Construction on the project should start this year, but the county must work with the Department of Environmental Protection and various other agencies to make a plan.
That will take some time, Quesenberry concluded.
The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 primarily provides grants to state and local governments to improve sewer, water and broadband access to residents. The plan was signed into law in March to help those struggling from the Coronavirus pandemic.
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