Apr 20, 2015 3 min read

Customers of the Dunkard Valley Joint Municipal Authority are being urged to return surveys that were mailed to them in March that will be critical in determining if a project to rehabilitate the water system is eligible to receive state Community Development Block Grant funding.

Crystal Simmons, block grant administrator for the Greene County Industrial Development Authority, said the surveys have to be returned by mid-May at the latest for grant consideration.

“The DVJMA, Greensboro Borough and Monongahela Township have worked quickly and diligently to get all of this worked out for residents,” Simmons said.

All of the parties involved have the common goal of rehabilitating the authority’s water system, making it one that will deliver reliable service through a self-supporting authority for perpetuity, she said.

“(The effort) has shown that when the real needs are there, municipalities can work together for the good of the community,” she said. “This is a big undertaking.”

Monongahela Township supervisors are considering modifying $281,451 in CDBG grants now available to the township so they can be used on the water authority project.

This funding was originally sought to assist with sewage in Alicia and Poland Mines.

After further review, however, the sewage project was determined to not be financially feasible for residents of these communities. The supervisors, along with newly -appointed engineering firm, K2 Engineering, are reviewing alternatives that are more cost-effective.

To qualify for the CDBG grant, the municipalities and authority must provide specific demographics for the authority’s service area, which covers Greensboro Borough and parts of Monongahela Township.

The surveys are critical to compiling that information, Simmons said.

The county mailed more than 250 of the surveys to authority customers and the response “has been slow so far,” she said.

“The staff in my office worked very hard to get the mailing together quickly so residents have the opportunity to help the DVJMA and these municipalities move this project forward,” she said.

All of the entities involved would like to see things proceed as quickly as possible so the authority can move forward with a project as soon as possible, Simmons said.

Currently, the group has been developing a project that can be completed in phases with the first phase addressing the authority’s “immediate needs.” The group also will be discussing the future needs as well, she said.

Any customer of the DVJMA who is in need of a replacement survey or has questions regarding the project can call Simmons at 724-627-9259.