Drainage and sewer issues along an aging roadway in south Athens are getting the city’s attention, after the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) approved more than $4 million in funding measures toward the estimated $11 million project.

At its May 19 meeting, the Athens City Council signed off on allowing Mayor Ronnie Marks to enter into a series of agreements with ADEM to receive the funding, which will be used for drainage ($2.5 million) and sanitary sewer work ($8.5 million) along Strain Road. The cost of repaving affected streets is incorporated into the cost of the sanitary sewer project.

Under one agreement, the city will have access to $3,893,773 from the Clean Water State Revolving Fund through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, under terms that allow the city to take advantage of principal forgiveness that likens the funding to a grant. Under another, the city will have access to $500,000 from the Clean Water State Revolving Fund via its regular annual funding, under similar principal forgiveness terms.

Separately, ADEM has allocated an additional $123,844.62 in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to conduct survey and design work. In all, the amount of funding facilitated by ADEM funding will contribute more than $4.5 million toward the project, with the city covering the remaining cost. 

In a release, the mayor’s office said Communities Unlimited originally had submitted a pre-application for the ADEM funding in May of last year. The rural-focused nonprofit partners with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which initially referred Communities Unlimited to the city.

Like other older areas of Athens, portions of West and East Strain Roads developed before the city instituted ordinances designating street width, drainage and city sewer access requirements, where applicable. District 3 Athens City Council member James Lucas helped conduct surveys in late 2023 to gauge residents’ interest in changing from septic tanks to the sanitary sewer system and to gather information about the area’s drainage issues.