The City of Wheelwright will receive more than $770,000 for water system improvements. U.S. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and Congressman Hal Rogers announced Monday that the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) awarded the funds to replace an existing water treatment plant and provide clean, consistent water resources to city residents.

“Our aging water system simply cannot meet the needs of our community,” said Wheelwright Mayor Don Hall. “This new plant will have the capacity to not only serve our homes and businesses but also the Southeast Kentucky Correctional Center.”

The Southeast Kentucky Correctional Center, formerly the Otter Creek Correctional Facility, previously closed partly due to inadequate water and sewer services. Its reopening created jobs in the City of Wheelwright and provided inmates with education, substance abuse treatment, and vocational training programs.

The federal funds come from an ARC infrastructure program established by McConnell to devote resources to distressed counties in central Appalachia.

“For Kentucky’s Appalachian communities, consistent water resources don’t just help families access the fresh water they need to live. They also enable businesses to grow, communities to thrive, and development to flourish,” said McConnell. “I was proud to establish a program within the Appalachian Regional Commission to address this issue directly and look forward to watching the City of Wheelwright move forward with this important project.”

“Clean water is a fundamental resource that we are constantly working to expand and protect in our mountain communities,” said Rogers. “This larger water treatment plant will ensure that families and businesses in Wheelwright don’t have to worry when they turn on their water faucets, and it paves the way for job growth in Floyd County.”