Viola Chandler of Uniontown says the smell of the raw sewage in her backyard during the summer months is absolutely horrible. Brittney Lewis of Uniontown agrees with Chandler about the smell during the hot summer, but she could smell the sewage yesterday while standing at her front door.

Thanks to Gov. Bob Riley and the state government these two County Road 53 residents along with the other 198 residents will no longer have to live and smell the stench of raw sewage in their yards.

Riley has awarded $350,000 to Uniontown to extend sewer service to 74 households. The grant will fund sewer improvements that will eliminate malfunctioning septic tanks on the south side of Uniontown along County Road 53.

Chandler thinks that Uniontown and its residents will benefit greatly from this money.

Lewis agrees with Chandler about the Uniontown being a better place to live now that they have sewage lines.

The town has identified the expansion of sewer service as its top priority. Soil characteristics and small lots make septic tanks unsuitable in many areas. The tanks malfunction on a regular basis allowing raw sewage to flow into yards putting residents at risk from diseases and parasites.

The improvements will include the installation of 11,500 feet of eight-inch pipe and 43 manholes. More than 200 residents will benefit from the improvements and town officials expect the expansion to lead to future residential growth in the area. Local funds of $40,000 have been committed to the project.

Riley awarded the Community Development Block Grant from funds made available to the state by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. He has designated the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs to administer the grant. ADECA director John Harrison notified Mayor Philip White that the grant had been approved.

Mayor White sees this project as the taxpayers’ money at work and he is proud that his city received this grant.