By Chelsea Vance | The Selma Times-Journal

Gov. Robert Bentley recently approved a grant to eventually help repair sewer lines in Uniontown.

The city will use the Community Development Block Grant of the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA) to install cameras in sewage lines to detect leaks.

As a result of heavy rain, raw sewage has backed up in neighborhoods and streets.

This has caused the city to exceed its permitted capacity at wastewater treatment lagoons, which is a violation state health regulations.

According to ADECA Public Information Manager Mike Presley, Uniontown Mayor’s Office applied for the grant in June 2015, the typical period that applications are accepted.

The process of applying for ADECA grants can be competitive and funds are awarded by projects and reconstruction that is found most severe to least.

“Our CDBG is usually a process where local governments will come to us with needs. We rate them based on need and number of people that it would help,” Presley said. He believes through the grants, ADECA succeeds in their motto to build better Alabama communities.

Those who apply have to describe their need for the money and a breakdown of how it will be spent. Now that Uniontown has received the grant, the city will hire an engineering firm to monitor sewer lines.

This will pinpoint the exact locations of cracks which will be marked by GPS coordinates. Next, they will be mapped to enable the Uniontown Water and Sewer Department to begin repairs. The project is meant to avoid area demolition of sewer pipes when trying to find problems.

Uniontown will be allocating a total of $34,500 to the sewer project, $32,000 from the grant and $2,500 from the city. Governor Bentley believes that the grant is helpful and contributes progression throughout the state.

“Community Development Block Grants are important because they enable local governments to take corrective actions on serious problems particularly where it affects the health and welfare of residents,” Bentley said. “It is my hope that this grant will be a significant help to resolve the issue in Uniontown.”

ADECA administers a wide range of programs that support law enforcement, economic development, infrastructure and water resource management.