WASHINGTON – Congressman Spencer Bachus (AL-6) today announced the approval of a $1 million federal grant to protect water customers in the Birmingham area from supply disruptions.
The funding will help the Birmingham Water Works Board purchase an emergency generator for its Putnam Filter Plant. Bachus wrote to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in support of the grant and also held meetings with state officials on the project.
"This emergency generator will help ensure a safe supply of water for customers in the case of a power outage or an event affecting the plant’s security. Because there is no alternative power source now in place, this generator is essential to maintaining continuous operations at a plant that serves 150,000 customers in our region," Bachus said.
The total cost of the generator is nearly $1.9 million dollars.
The funding was awarded from the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP), which was established by Congress following Hurricane Katrina to help Alabama and other Gulf Coast states reduce the potential impact of disasters. FEMA is an agency within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.