Big dreams do come true, even for small towns. Wardensville town leaders came together on August 26, alongside county, state, and federal representatives for the official opening of the infrastructure improvement project.
While such an event does not elicit the excitement of a new stadium or even roadway, the impact of a brand-new water and sewage plant on this flourishing community of nearly 300 is enormous.
Many years ago, the town was dealing with a water and sewage system that opened in 1968. It was in very poor condition, and the consequences to the town’s people were serious. So, Mayor Betsy Orndoff-Sayers, the town council, and public works supervisor Erich Atkinson went to work.
This was a colossal undertaking that meant years of planning, consulting and the involvement of government agencies on all levels to work as a team to make this come to fruition. It required patience, learning, and persistence to stay the course and finish the project.
Those speaking at the ceremony included Orndoff-Sayers; Emily Podolskiy, representing Congressman Riley Moore; Mark Sarver, Executive Director, West Virginia Water Development Authority; John Reisenweber, State Director of West Virginia USDA Rural Development; and Hardy County Commissioner Steve Schetrom. Hardy County Chamber of Commerce Director Justin Evans was also present.
It was noted that Wardensville has become the gateway to Hardy County and beyond. The importance of clean water from a dependable source is not only a benefit to the community but the county as well. Reisenweber that the federal government has poured significant money into Hardy County recently. In the past 10 years the USDA Rural Development Program invested over $61 million in the county, much of it for housing.
There were multiple financial contributors to the project. According to the town’s Facebook post: “This $4,041,888.00 infrastructure project was made possible through loans, grants, and principal forgiveness from the following organizations: IJDC (West Virginia Infrastructure and Jobs Development Council) $139,000 for design loan; CWSRF (Clean Water State Revolving Fund) Loan- $373,788; CWSRF Principal Forgiveness – $1,479,000; USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) Loan- $624,000; USDA grant – $476,000; IJDC Grant – $500,000; Hardy County Commission- $75,000; Town of Wardensville – $20,000; and Economic Enhancement Grant – $354,600. We are blessed to have had the support of these organizations. RK&K are the engineers and Snyder Environmental is the contractor for our project.”
At the end of the ceremony after everyone had NO FLAG, Atkinson stood looking at the brand-new water treatment plant. He recalled years ago begging state inspectors for a little more time to fix problems to avoid fines or closure. Atkinson beamed, saying “and now look at it. It’s actually standing there.” Dreams do come true.
