$2.4 Million Water Project, Including New Water Tower, In Walnut Hill

November 24, 2009

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A new water tower is under construction in Walnut Hill, part of $2.4 million in improvements by Walnut Hill Water Works.

The new 200,000 gallon Walnut Hill Water Works elevated storage tank is being located next to the Escambia River Electric Cooperative office on Highway 99-A, across the road from the Ernest Ward Middle School gym. This tank is in addition to a current water tower nearby at the intersection of Arthur Brown Road and Highway 97, according to Escambia Riever Electric Cooperative. EREC owns the Walnut Hill Water Works.

The new elevated storage tank will replace a Walnut Hill Water Works elevated tank currently located in Enon.

The $2.4 million project will include the tank, plus repairs to existing well houses and operating equipment and the replacement and looping of existing lines to increase water pressure. The water system, which serves 699 connections, has received a $866,000 grant toward the project. The remaining $1,621,000 will come from a USDA Rural Development loan.

In 2005, the water system began to experience problems when the well at Arthur Brown Road and Highway 97 began to fail. That well house and the one at another well located on Highway 97 just north of Wiggins Lake Road are both in need of physical and mechanical repairs, according to EREC. They say the system operates with a 19 percent loss due to leaks and inefficiencies.

Pictured top: A new 200,000 gallon elevated water tank under construction in Walnut Hill next to Ernest Ward Middle School. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.

Comments

4 Responses to “$2.4 Million Water Project, Including New Water Tower, In Walnut Hill”

  1. me on November 25th, 2009 6:11 am

    i think the water at walnut hill is some of the best around, some of the best water you will ever drink is the kind you cant taste, To interested reader, you should try to live on any other water system, there rates are the same or even higher.

  2. interested reader on November 24th, 2009 6:14 pm

    Is it legal to have a rate increase of 80%? I would think the rates would be governed by regulations. We can’t drink the water now so maybe I can save some money on bottled water when they are finished. Hope so. We will see.

  3. William on November 24th, 2009 9:42 am

    bmb — Water rates were already increased this month for Walnut Hill Water Works/EREC customers, but not EREC customers that do not have Walnut Hill Water Works.

  4. bmb on November 24th, 2009 9:31 am

    Is this “loan” going to be passed to “all” of the EREC customers in the form of rate hikes? Just a question, people like to know what they are paying for and for who they are paying for.