Utility plans $2.3 million upgrade

Southwestern Bartholomew Water Co. is one of three Indiana utilities that will receive funds through a nationwide effort to upgrade rural water infrastructure.

Serving more than 7,700 residents in west central Bartholomew and eastern Brown counties, Southwestern is receiving a $2.3 million loan to upgrade its water system, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The utility is located at 4735 W. Carlos Folger Drive on the west side of Columbus.

Much of that money will be used to construct a new, 200,000-gallon elevated storage tank to provide additional storage capacity needed to meet both current and future demand, USDA spokeswoman Tammi Schone said.

Other improvements, such as installing a new eight-inch transmission main to supplement a smaller existing main, are intended to improve water pressure, which is high in some areas and low in others, Schone said.

But the upgrade is also intended to decrease the risk of pipe failure, which should allow the utility to cut back on operational and maintenance expenses, Schone said.

This is one of 54 projects nationwide that is sharing $164 million in loans or grants from the USDA’s Water and Waste Disposal Loan and Grant program, the agriculture department said.

Besides Southwestern, utilities in Fulton and Randolph counties are receiving the $17.4 million allocated to Indiana, according to the department.

These loans and grants were issued to upgrade drinking water, stormwater drainage or waste disposal systems in rural communities with 10,000 or fewer residents, the department said.

[sc:pullout-title pullout-title=”At a glance” ][sc:pullout-text-begin]

For information on Southwestern Bartholomew Water Co., call 812-343-4421.

[sc:pullout-text-end]