CHICAGO – Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich today announced $150,000 in funding to the Rend Lake Conservancy District to construct a sanitary sewer system in the unincorporated area of Whittington in northern Franklin County, which is adjacent to Rend Lake. This sewer project will help improve the health and quality of life for working families in the area, while strengthening crucial public infrastructure that supports and attracts economic development. This support comes as part of Opportunity Returns, the Governor’s aggressive, pro-active economic development strategy to create better jobs across Southern Illinois.
“Every man, woman and child deserves to have clean and reliable water in a safe, strong and healthy community. The construction of this new sewer system in Franklin County will ensure that many more families and businesses will have this essential access that many of us take for granted. This investment will also make this part of Southern Illinois an even more attractive place for business, which will help it grow and create better jobs,” Gov. Blagojevich said.
Rend Lake was built as a joint project by the Illinois Department of Conservation, the Rend Lake Conservancy District and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 1965 to provide a dependable domestic water supply to Franklin and Jefferson counties. The Rend Lake Conservancy District has operated the Rend Lake Intercity Water System since 1972, and today provides a water supply to approximately 150,000 people in more than 60 communities. This new sanitary sewer system in Whittington will provide collection of sewage from approximately 127 residences and 13 businesses, which currently utilizes individual sewage treatment devices that frequently do not operate properly and discharge partially treated sewage into tributaries of Rend Lake. This project will reduce the amount of partially treated sewage entering Rend Lake, which also provides water to several other Southern Illinois counties.
This funding will build on an earlier $375,000 Community Development Assistance Program (CDAP) grant awarded to Ewing Township for the construction of this sewer system. CDAP is a federally-funded grant program that assists Illinois communities by providing grants to local government entities, which are designed to help finance economic development, public facilities and housing rehabilitation projects. The program is administered through the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO), where it is used to effectively target and assist low-to-moderate income people by improving their quality of life and creating job opportunities. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development is also providing $793,000 towards the project.
“The Rend Lake Conservancy District sincerely thanks Governor Blagojevich, Senator Forby and other representatives of the State of Illinois for helping to make this project possible. The citizens impacted by the project have been waiting for sewer services for years and would still be waiting if not for the economic assistance provided by the Governor’s Opportunity Returns initiative,” said Keith Thomason, General Manager of the Rend Lake Conservancy District.
“Gov. Blagojevich and I understand that we must make investments like these in Southern Illinois’ infrastructure in order to build stronger, more vibrant communities throughout Franklin County. Everyone who lives or works in Whittington will benefit by enhancing our local infrastructure, which will provide better water access and sanitation at home and greater capacity for businesses to grow and expand,” State Senator Gary Forby (D-Benton) said.
“Investing in safe and reliable water and sanitation systems is an important component in making our communities stronger and more attractive to businesses. My thanks to the Governor for his assistance that will help to continue expanding our economy and creating good jobs,” State Rep. John Bradley (D-Marion) said.
“Adequate sewer and water service is vital to community and economic development. Without basic infrastructure, this region cannot compete for company relocation and expansion, but with a healthy infrastructure in place, communities can create jobs and prosper. Gov. Blagojevich is demonstrating his ability to plan effectively by improving vital infrastructure that increases the competitiveness of communities throughout Southern Illinois,” DCEO Director Jack Lavin said.
Gov. Blagojevich’s Opportunity Returns regional economic development strategy is the most aggressive, comprehensive approach to creating jobs in Illinois’ history. Since a one-size-fits-all approach to economic development just doesn’t work, the Governor has divided the state into 10 regions – each with a regional team that is empowered and expected to rapidly respond to opportunities and challenges. Opportunity Returns is about tangible, specific actions to make each region more accessible, more marketable, more entrepreneurial and more attractive to businesses. It is about upgrading the skills of the local workforce, increasing the access to capital, opening new markets, improving infrastructure, and creating and retaining jobs. Opportunity Returns is about successfully partnering with companies and communities, both large and small, to help all of Illinois reach its economic potential.