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Washington, DC -- U.S. Senators Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) and Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) and U.S. Representative David Davis (R-Tenn.1st) today announced $394,000 in funding for the Hawkins County water supply awarded by the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC).
“I’m glad to see that this funding will bring much-needed improvements to Hawkins County’s public water system,” Sen. Lamar Alexander said. “ARC’s continued investment in our rural communities is bringing a better way of life to many East Tennesseans.”
“These significant infrastructure improvements will help enhance the quality of life for residents and promote economic growth in the region,” Sen. Bob Corker said. “I thank the ARC for its continued investment in the future of East Tennessee and all of Appalachia.”
“The ARC grant to Hawkins County will increase the county’s ability to expand its water capacity to meet growing commercial and industrial needs,” Congressman David Davis said. “This will go a long way to encourage solid economic growth.”
This funding will help improve the Hawkins County Water Storage Tank, helping the county expand its public water system capacity to meet projected increases in both industrial and commercial water demands in the region. According to projections, this grant will support the creation of 90 new jobs and leverage $3 million in private investment.
The ARC is a federal-state partnership that supports economic development and improved quality of life in Appalachia. Appalachia, as defined in the legislation from which the ARC derives its authority, is a 200,000-square-mile region that follows the spine of the Appalachian Mountains from southern New York to northern Mississippi. It includes all of West Virginia and parts of 12 other states: Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. About 23 million people live in the 410 counties of the Appalachian Region; 42 percent of the Region's population is rural, compared with 20 percent of the national population.
The Tennessee counties included as part of the ARC include: Anderson, Bledsoe, Blount, Bradley, Campbell, Cannon, Carter, Claiborne, Clay, Cocke, Coffee, Cumberland, De Kalb, Fentress, Franklin, Grainger, Greene, Grundy, Hamblen, Hamilton, Hancock, Hawkins, Jackson, Jefferson, Johnson, Knox, Loudon, McMinn, Macon, Marion, Meigs, Monroe, Morgan, Overton, Pickett, Polk, Putnam, Rhea, Roane, Scott, Sequatchie, Sevier, Smith, Sullivan, Unicoi, Union, Van Buren, Warren, Washington, and White.
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