Pinehurst receives grant for wastewater projects from SRA

Christmas came early for the city of Pinehurst.

The city received a Community Assistance Grant for $10,000 in Friday from the Sabine River Authority of Texas to help on wastewater treatment issues, the infiltration system and to clean up Adams Bayou, according to David Montagne, assistant general manager of the SRA.

“We appreciate this. We have a use for this. We will put this to work quickly,” said Mayor Pete Runnels. “It will help folks on Adams Bayou and it will improve the water quality.”

Montagne explained larger streams of water can handle affluence better than smaller streams.

“It (Adams Bayou) has enough flow not to be influenced,” he said. “Orangefield Water Control was having the same issues but theirs was Cow Bayou and not Adams Bayou.”

Mary Van, SRA environmental and information resources manager, said the grant comes from money generated through revenues including water quality laboratory testing revenues.

The SRA also performs bacteriological testing on well water for a fee of $20.

The Community Assistance Program (CAP) is part of an Economic Development Initiative SRA started in 2002 to help promote the improvement of the quality and quantity of services essential for the development of a viable community, according to the SRA website.

Initially limited to governmental entities which included cities, counties, and districts, the SRA Board of Directors recently approved expanding eligibility for the program to include member-owned non-profit water supply corporations within the Sabine River Basin Water resource projects should be consistent with the statutory mission of SRA-Texas.

Created as a conservation and reclamation district in 1949, responsibilities of the Sabine River Authority of Texas are to control, store, preserve and distribute the waters of the Sabine River and its tributary system for useful purposes.

SRA’s Community Assistance Program provides competitive grants that will complement or leverage water project funds for entities within the Basin.

Funds provided for the GRANT Program must fall within four project categories, which include

1. Water Supply;

2. Wastewater Management;

3. Water Conservation; and

4. Water Quality

and are limited to $10,000 per project.

Runnels said this grant will not help with the lift station project on Whippoorwill Street, but it will also provide a good psychological lift for the city.

“We’ve had to tighten our belts this year. Monetarily, it will help all the city employees. It tells us we’re not in the boat by ourselves. The Sabine River Authority cares about us,” he said.