WASHINGTON — Critical funding is heading to help improve the water system in Martin County as part of a recent funding bill passed by Congress.

In a news release, U.S. Rep. Harold “Hal” Rogers, R-Ky., said he helped secure a $5 million Community Project Funding earmark for the improvements as part of the bipartisan federal funding package signed into law on March 9, 2024.

Rogers also said he had helped secure $18.5 million in federal funding for Martin County water and wastewater improvements since 2017.

“I have been working diligently with federal, state and local officials to eliminate the long history of water outages in Martin County, so local folks can feel safe using the water from their faucets year-round,” Rogers said.

He said the federal funding he has helped secure has been used to install a new water intake, replace and extend water lines, eliminate the use of contaminated well water, improve the water treatment facility along with other improvements and repairs.

Rogers secured a $3.1 million earmark last year to upgrade the sewer plant and expand wastewater service to approximately 100 households and small businesses.

The congressman noted he had secured 15 Community Project Funding earmarks in the funding bill, totaling nearly $86 million, along with other measures to help southern and eastern Kentucky.

Martin County has been plagued by water issues for nearly 25 years, stemming from a coal slurry spill in 2000, when about 250 million gallons of coal mine fine slurry were released and much of it went to the Big Sandy River.