Old Chester Road residents will get public water through $500,000 grant

By SCOTT POWELLLedger Staff Writerspowell@gaffneyledger.com

Cherokee County has received a $500,000 grant to extend public water to residents in the Old Chester Road area in Blacksburg.

Gov. Mark Sanford notified Cherokee County Council chairman Hoke Parris in a July 12 letter the county received the grant funds from the Community Development Block Grant program. Cherokee County will have to provide $50,000 in matching funds in order to receive the grant.

The project will consist of providing water to 125 to 140 Old Chester Road residents who presently draw their water from private wells, said county councilman James Batchler, whose District 7 residents will benefit from the grant. The project will also extend public water service to residents who live on some roads connected to Old Chester Road.

The county recently used grant funding to complete the Sims Road water project.

"Over the past few years I have been able to get grants that have provided water and will continue to try to develop the areas that do not have public water service so that my entire district has that necessity," Batchler said. "This project is part two and is a continuation of the Sims project.

We are surveying another part of the Hopewell Community and will try to get a grant to help them get public water on their road."