During the July 20 City Council meeting, the Pascagoula City Council voted unanimously to allocate the first installment of $2,583,647 in American Rescue Plan Act funds to address aging infrastructure in the city.
The funds will be used to replace and relocate failing water distribution infrastructure serving 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th, and 13th Streets between Ingalls Avenue and Taylor Avenue as well as the area including South Fernwood Street, Rosewood Street, Dogwood Street, and Redwood Street. The existing infrastructure requires extensive regular maintenance and is a significant source of water outages and boil water notices in the City.
“The issues we’re seeing in this area have been affecting people’s ability to function and live within their dwelling. This funding is not just going to fix a break in the waterline, it’s going to fix an entire region of the city,” said City Engineer Geoff Clemons.
The improvements will upsize the waterlines serving the areas and relocate the lines from alleyways to the street-side of the residences. The majority of the proposed lines will be installed outside of the asphalt within the street rights-of-way in order to improve meter and valve access, hydrant location, and maintenance issues.
“Given the issues this area has seen, we think it is beneficial to use all of the ARPA funding to help address the urgent needs that area is experiencing,” said City Manager Michael Silverman.
The total project is estimated to cost between $2-3 million. The City of Pascagoula is set to receive another $2.5 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding next year.
