The Village of Shiloh has been awarded a $500,000 grant to improve water lines, upgrademeters and demolish a local water tower. It’s part of $122.7 million in grant awards to help improve water infrastructure in 59 counties.

The water lines in Shiloh’s system have rusty connections, with breaks occurring frequently. Water shutoffs and boil advisories are well above average for the system, and staff are constantly dealing with breaks, valve malfunctions, and antiquated water hydrants. The village has limited manpower to make constant repairs and must rely on neighboring village employees to help. The project will benefit 650 people.

The funding is part of the sixth round of the Ohio B.U.I.L.D.S. (Broadband, Utilities, and Infrastructure for Local Development Success) Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Grant Program. Funding will provide $84.5 million in support of 43 new critical infrastructure projects and $38.2 million in gap funding for 33 previously funded projects with costs that exceeded initial estimates.

The grants announced Friday will help reduce or eliminate the financial burden community leaders face in addressing critical infrastructure needs such as new water distribution systems, waterline extensions, water tower replacements, and new pipes and water mains. Grants will also fund projects to replace sanitary sewer systems, prevent sewer system backups, and extend sewer lines to support economic growth.

Since 2021, the Ohio B.U.I.L.D.S. Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Grant Program has provided a total of nearly $620 million to support hundreds of local water projects in Ohio’s 88 counties.

The program received 703 grant applications for this round, requesting more than $1.4 billion in funding, demonstrating the continued need for water infrastructure improvements across the state.

This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Village of Shiloh awarded $500,000 grant to upgrade its water system