 National Rural Water Association 2915 S. 13th Street Duncan, OK 73533 580-252-0629 FAX 580-255-4476 Contact: Chris Wilson, nrwacw@nrwa.org
March 17, 2009 NRWA loan gives Alabama town way to repair disaster damage MIDWAY, Ala. – Thomas Guice watches technicians complete the installation of valves on the town’s second well. The valves are the last repairs that have brought the utilities back from disaster. “It started when the shaft on our No. 2 well broke 290 feet down,” explained Guice, General Manager of the Midway Water Works. The utility’s ground water wells began failing in late July of 2008. The town’s other well developed vibrations that warped the shaft and created a leak under the well house slab. The damage to both wells created serious problems for Midway, an Alabama town of just over 450. Already dealing with limited supply and repair costs estimated at $50,000, the difficulties became a disaster when Tropical Storm Fay damaged the town’s water tower on August 22, 2008. “We were in a real disaster,” Guice said. Guice learned about the National Rural Water Association’s Revolving Loan Fund, a program that provides low-interest loans to small water utilities for such projects. Kathy Horne from the Alabama Rural Water Association assisted Midway with the applications and paperwork to apply for the loan. The infusion of funds allowed the water works to begin repairs and ensure the town still had water. “The loan came at a time when we had exhausted all our regular funds,” the manager explained. “Everything was very convenient,” Guice added. “It was still a learning experience for me because it was the first time I’ve had the opportunity to do this kind of work.”
Midway was able to complete their water
tower repairs quickly, with the final well repairs coming a few months
later. # # # |
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