Marion County water authority to open $3.2M ARPA bids; officials tout $8.9M emerging-contaminants request

Marion County Water Authority officials said they will open bids tomorrow for a $3.2 million project funded through ARPA and described a separate $8.9 million request to address emerging contaminants and expand supply on the authority's east side.

At a public briefing, an authority presenter said the ARPA-funded work will include distribution-line construction and a pump station; bids for lines are scheduled to be opened around 11:00 a.m. with pump-station openings to follow at about 11:30 a.m. After bids are opened, the board will consider awarding a contract and will forward documentation to ADECA (Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs) for final approvals. "Tomorrow, we'll open bids for $3,200,000 ARPA project," the presenter stated during the meeting.

Why it matters: officials said the combined work and partner funding will extend service and create redundancy in the county water system. Meeting speakers said roughly 1,200 Marion County residents still lack piped water service and that the projects are intended to reduce multi-day outages and supply industry and residences along major corridors.

Funding and partners: meeting remarks attributed $3.2 million to ARPA (the federal American Rescue Plan Act), noted a $1.5 million pledge from the Marion County Commission, and described a roughly $1.0 million Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) contribution; speakers summarized those three sources as about $4.7 million for the initial package. Separately, officials said they have applied for an $8.9 million emerging-contaminants package that would add two production wells and a standpipe/tank on the east side. The meeting record named ADECA Director Kenneth Boswell and credited state and federal lawmakers for support. "We made good use of the federal dollar sent to Alabama," a state senator present said.

Schedule and constraints: staff emphasized an administrative deadline for ARPA paperwork (stated in the meeting as September 30) and said that while construction completion might allow a short extension, the ARPA award requires that the funding and related documentation be finalized on a clear timetable; ARC funding timelines were described as more flexible. Bid opening is set for the following day, and the board said it may call a special meeting or work session to approve a bid recommendation once tallies are complete.

Well drilling and contingencies: board members and contractors discussed recent drilling results. Speakers described one early attempt as yielding sand rather than a functioning well and said other wells have produced high-quality water but variable flow rates. Examples cited in the meeting included well yields around 160 gallons per minute and references to other wells producing 300–400 gpm. Officials said ADECA or partner counties could help if drilled wells do not meet expected capacity.

Votes at a glance: the board approved the minutes from its Jan. 12, 2026 meeting (motion carried) and approved the January 2026 financial report (motion carried); both votes were announced by the chair with no roll-call recorded in the transcript. The meeting adjourned after a motion and second.

What’s next: bids will be opened at the time announced, the board expects to review tabulations and formally act on awarding a contract in a subsequent meeting or special call, and authority staff will continue to seek ADECA and ARC approvals for the larger funding packages.