LOXLEY— Gov. Kay Ivey has awarded Loxley $500,000 to replace old sewer lines and manholes on the city’s west side along North Holley Street.

It is part of a $17.5 million grant that was awarded to 44 Alabama towns, cities and counties. The Community Development Block Grants will enable local governments to pave or resurface roads, eliminate blight and drainage problems, improve water or sewer service and build or improve local community centers and playgrounds.

“Community Development Block Grants annually assist our local governments with some of their most pressing needs and projects that may be out of reach of their own budgets,” Ivey said in a news release. “I am honored to award these funds for projects that will make a positive impact in communities across our great state."

The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs is administering the grants from funds made available by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. ADECA administers a wide range of programs that support law enforcement, victim assistance programs, economic development, water resource management, energy conservation and recreation.

“Many of those local governments that surveyed their most critical needs and took the time and effort to complete CDBG applications are seeing that hard work pay off with today’s announcement,” ADECA Director Kenneth Boswell said in the release. “ADECA joins Gov. Ivey in full support of these projects. I also encourage those governments that fell short of receiving funding to persevere and continue applying for these all-important funds.”

"We are excited about the project," Loxley Public Works and Utilities Superintendent Robert Davis said. "We will be able to repair and rehabilitate about 4,700 foot of 8-inch gravity sewer main and close to 19 manholes on that side of the city."

The superintendent added that this part of the sewer system is over 50 years old and needs to be repaired, and the repairing the manholes will help reduce and eliminate overflows that have occurred in the older parts of Loxley.

"The older they get, the integrity of the pipe seems to be reduced, so we try to fix what we can to prevent future inflow and infiltration issues," Davis said.

CDBGs are awarded annually on a competitive basis and in several categories to ensure local governments of all sizes have opportunities to be awarded funds.