Sewer Service To Come to Mt. Vernon

Posted on: Jul 5th, 2011 | News and Announcements

A federal environmental grant secured by the Mobile County Commission will finance the start of sewer service for residents in Mt. Vernon by the beginning of next year. A public informational meeting on the proposal is set for 6 p.m. Tuesday, July 12 at the Mount Vernon Community Center. The Mobile County Commission obtained a $1.5 million grant for the plant through the Coastal Impact Assistance Program (CIAP). The money is awarded to states along the Gulf Coast through the Energy Policy Act of 2005. Then President George W. Bush created the funding for those states that share the risks of oil and gas production in the Gulf. The grant money is tied to environmental purposes. In the case of Mt. Vernon, almost all dwellings are on septic systems. ?The project is important to the health of the Mt. Vernon community as it continues to grow,? said Mobile County Commission president Merceria Ludgood, whose district includes Mt. Vernon. ?We need to get the community onto sewer service for the protection of the environment and to accommodate any new commercial and residential growth.? The multi-phase construction project will tie into more than 100 households, but is capable of expansion to serve more. At present, funding will cover the cost of the plant and 40 connections. The Mobile County Commission plans to apply for another $1.3 million to expand the service, which is part of the long-term plan under review by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement, which administers CIAP. ?We have the largest industrial project in the nation when TK decided to build its plant in Mt. Vernon,? said Mobile County Commissioner Mike Dean. ?Now we need to make sure we have adequate infrastructure and this project supports that.? The wastewater facility, which ultimately could serve hundreds of residents, will be located at the northeast corner of Highway 43 and Cedar Creek. The property will be leased to the Town of Mt. Vernon by the Alabama Department of Mental Health. The facility is not a typical mechanical plant, but is a specialized in-ground, filtration and disinfection system. The Mobile County Commission has been working to obtain this grant funding for the last six years. ?It?s a tremendous step forward for the Town of Mt. Vernon to provide sewer for the city,? said Mobile County Commissioner Connie Hudson.