Henderson to receive $175,000 grant for water system
With roughly 144 residents, 2 churches and 1 store, Henderson, a small town in Caroline County, has been running on a sub-par water system for years, but it’s finally getting an upgrade. Three wells serve the town’s water tower, but Mayor Sandy Cook says the equipment is outdated.
47 ABC spoke with Mayor Cook and she tells us, “I have tried for years to get help to upgrade it because we’ve needed meters for years.”
Bill Rochow is a Henderson resident and he says he’s never noticed there was a problem in the first place.
Rochow tells 47 ABC, “I always thought it was the build up in the shower heads or the faucets but I guess it’s not. It would be great to have this rectified.”
In February, a water main ruptured beneath a house in the community worsening the problem. The homeowner didn’t tell anyone and moved out of town. A neighbor called Cook and said there was no water coming from the faucet. In fact, the whole town was out and without working meters to rely on, the town relied on working hands.
Cook tells 47 ABC, “The operator of the system he comes in and turns it on by hand and then comes back later on in the afternoon and turns it off by hand.”
The operator has been doing that since even before the February rupture, but the break was a catalyst. Cook knew she had to take action so she requested emergency grant money. On Tuesday Senators Barbara Mikulski and Ben Cardin announced that Henderson would get $175,000 for water and waste disposal.
Cook tells 47 ABC, “It’s to get us started and to keep the wells pumping until we can get the rest of the system fixed.”
The money is made available through the Community Development Block Grant program, or CDBG. It will pay for new flow meters and extensive electrical repairs. It’s expected to take six months and if costs go beyond the $175,000 the CDBG has agreed to pay for it.
Cook tells 47 ABC, “When we get this all up to par and working. We’ll be up in the future like the other towns.”
Mayor Cook also says she has had no complaints from residents and once the meters are fixed, the town’s next objective is to improve the sewer system. As of right now, Cook says the lots are too small and the septic tanks are old.
