Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley announced $1.05 million in grants for projects in Dallas and Wilcox counties.

The Community Development Block Grants will help fund sewer system upgrades in Valley Grande and sewer repairs and a senior center in Camden.

“Community Development Block Grants help communities undertake important projects they otherwise could not afford,” Bentley said. “I am always pleased to assist local officials to make improvements to their communities.”

A $450,000 grant will help Valley Grande alleviate health and safety concerns in the Overlook Hills subdivision caused by severe inflow and infiltration of sewer lines due to old, brittle sewer pipes.

The project includes lining more than 7,000 feet of pipe and rehabilitating manholes and related system components. Local funds of $45,000 will supplement the award.

The city of Camden will use a $350,000 grant to rehabilitate deteriorated sewer collection lines in the Colonial Acres area. This improvement will include lining the old pipes and repairing manholes and related parts of the sewer system. The city is providing funding of $59,840 to supplement the award.

A $250,000 grant to the Wilcox County Commission will fund a new senior center in Camden.

The current location on Claiborne Street has multiple safety concerns including an unstable ramp and stairs at the entrance, flooring issues, flooding in the basement during heavy rains and an inadequate parking lot. The county is providing $25,000 to supplement the grant.

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 and public safety, economic development, water resource management, energy conservation and recreation.

CDBGs fund projects in areas in which at least 51 percent of the residents are deemed by federal guidelines to be low- to moderate-income individuals.