Thomasville to address wastewater plant with $2 million grant

Apr. 21—THOMASVILLE — The city of Thomasville was recently awarded an Economic Development Administration grant of $2 million from the U.S. Department of Commerce to improve the city's wastewater treatment plant and to support current and future business needs. As an agency within the Department of Commerce, the EDA makes investments in economically distressed communities to create jobs for U.S. workers, promote American innovation, and accelerate long-term sustainable economic growth.

"It is an honor to be awarded the EDA Grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce," Thomasville City Manager Alan Carson said. "We are appreciative of the commitment and investment by the Department of Commerce for infrastructure improvements that will positively impact our community for years to come."

According to Chris White, who is executive director of city public utilities, the grant is critical to present and long-term sustainability within the city's wastewater infrastructure.

"Our wastewater infrastructure and available daily treatment capacity at the plant are directly tied to the future business and economic growth of our local economy," White said in a news release. "It is not viable for our city to see continued growth without increasing the daily treatment capacity at our plant."

The grant is expected to spur $28.8 million in private investment while supporting approximately 260 jobs.

"A strong water infrastructure is necessary to support large businesses such as Check-Mate, The Residence at Oak Grove, and the new Downtown Marriott Hotel," White said. "The recent business development growth in Thomasville was a contributing factor to our successful application and will go a long way toward assisting with efforts to attract further business investments that will impact our local economic development."

In addition to the EDA grant, the city will invest more than $2 million toward infrastructure improvement projects.

"The city has been pre-approved for a loan of approximately $2.1 million from the Georgia Environmental Authority to be used towards the wastewater treatment plant project," White said. "As part of a clean-water initiative, GEFA will forgive approximately $900,00 of the low-interest loan.

"This grant would not be possible without the support of the Southwest Georgia Regional Commission, along with local and state officials. We are especially appreciative of Ms. Pam Schalk, whose work as our Grants Administrator continues to open doors of funding resources for projects that positively impact the overall quality of life of our citizens."

For more information about the EDA Grant, visit www.thomasville.org. For additional information or questions, contact Schalk at (229) 227-4093.