JIM WELLS COUNTY, Texas — The city of Ben Bolt is receiving more than $31 million in federal funding to replace its outdated wastewater collection system — a change more than 20 years in the making.
The funding comes from USDA Rural Development and is made up mostly of a grant, with a small portion being a loan. The money will transition the city away from septic tanks and toward a modern sewage system. When I talked to people in the community, they said this is a major step for the city.
"So a little bit over $31 million was announced. Majority of that is grant and a small portion of that is loan to, to replace a kind of an outdated wastewater collection system that's running off septic tanks. So it's really out of date," James Redfield, Texas state director for USDA Rural Development, said.
The project will benefit not only Ben Bolt residents, but local schools as well. Octavio Flores, general manager of Jim Wells County Fresh Water Supply District 1, said schools will be the first connected to the new system.
"The schools here have a septic system that is outdated and it runs over. So what we're gonna, they're gonna be the first ones that are gonna be hooked up to the system, our new system," Flores said.
Leaders are also hoping to extend the project all the way to Alice, as this is only phase one of what officials hope will be two more phases.
"These are really old outdated systems and so it's gonna help the school by bringing them up to a modern waste collection system that is going to ultimately connect to the city of Alice. And so it's gonna not only help the school, it's gonna help Ben Bolt, it's gonna help Green Acres community," Redfield said.
The next steps of the project are already mapped out. Design work will begin first, followed by the selection of a legislation site, then bidding. Once all the details are in place, the project is expected to take 18 months to complete.
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