INEZ, Ky. - After years without stable drinking water throughout Martin County, Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin and Congressman Hal Rogers, who represents Kentucky's 5th district, announced $7.23 million in federal grants aimed at bringing the water system back to healthy levels.

“I grew up in a rural community. I’ve shared that with you, many of you in this room,” Bevin said, trying to connect with the small crowd that filled a conference room on the top floor of the Roy E. Collier Community Center. It’s the same room Bevin addressed in April.

Then, about half of attendees were frustrated over lost jobs, teacher pensions, and, overwhelmingly, clean water.Thursday drew a much friendlier response, with a handful of standing ovations for Bevin, Rogers, and other speakers who outlined the multiple targets of the federal grants, which go beyond water system improvements.

Per the official press release and comments made at Thursday’s conference:

• $2 million from the Abandoned Mines Lands Pilot Program, which will pay for a new booster pump station, a 250,000 gallon storage tank, 1,000 linear feet of water lines, and more.
• $2 million from the Army Corps of Engineers to improve service to more than 250 homes.
• $1+ million from the AML Pilot Program to create an “International Landing Zone” at the Eastern Kentucky Business Park, which will retrofit a 33,000 sq. ft. facility to be used by multiple businesses until they are ready to expand into their own locations.
• $2 million from the AML Pilot Program to construct a “build-ready site” for a 200,000 sq. ft. building and provide for site preparation at the Eastern Kentucky Business Park.

“It means a lot to, I guess, everybody in our county,” said Melissa Slone who, until recently, says she lived in Inez her whole life before moving.

The move was unrelated to water quality, but she says she has seen a dramatic boost the health of her family since re-settling just 20 minutes away. The financial burden of living in Inez also weighed on Slone.

“You can’t drink the water here, so you have to go and purchase your water,” she said. “And then you’re paying for your water bill that you can’t even use. You can’t even drink it; you hate to wash your clothes in it, I mean, but you have no other option. So, I mean, it’s costing you double just to be able to drink the water.”

We spoke with an Inez resident who works at the Collier Center, where the announcement was held. They wished to remain anonymous, but said they regularly watch children come to use the basketball court, and this worker cringes when they see the kids walk over and use the water fountain, worried about what they might be putting into their bodies. That is the reality facing Inez and much of Martin County.

Republicans Bevin and Rogers say these grants are not the last task in fixing the problems. But, hope, long overdue, might again be pumped through this community.