A provision within a bill passed by the U.S. House of Representatives Tuesday includes $1 million to assist funding for the Henderson Water Utility Raw Water Intake and Pipeline Project, according to a release from U.S. Rep. James Comer.
The project will modify an existing intake that had been used by Big Rivers in the past—and also HWU—so that that it can better serve the needs of HWU South Water Treatment Plant, said HWU General Manager Bart Boles. He added that the water lines are in place but need to be upgraded and moved.
According to a release from Comer’s office, the project will upgrade an existing raw water intake on the Green River and construct 6,000 feet of 24-inch pipeline to the South Water Treatment Plant.
Boles said the cost of the project will be $8.5 million and will occur in three phases.
Comer’s office said the bill now advances to the Senate for consideration.
Boles said an HWU intake at Big Rivers’ Sebree property has been in place since Tyson came to the area in the mid-1990s. In the past, Big Rivers used an 84-inch pipeline to pull water from the river for operations at the site, and HWU attached a 30-inch line to that and got water in that manner, Boles said.
But after Big Rivers shut down much of their operations there, they no longer needed the intake, leaving HWU to use the same intake after the shutdown. But in April 2022 a pump failed, forcing HWU to set up a water intake from a barge moored on the Green River.
This new project will format the equipment for HWU, Boles said.
“We need to modify their intake and make it ours,” he said.
In addition to the $1 million federal funding, Boles said HWU is attempting to secure a $3 million grant from the Economic Development Authority and a $2 million grant from Delta Regional Authority. He said the Green River Area Development District has been assisting to get those funds.
In addition to Tyson, the plant supplies treated water to the city of Sebree, Beech Grove, Columbia Sportswear Distribution, AMG Aluminum, and 15,000 residential customers, said a release from Comer’s office.
If the money comes through, Boles said he hopes work can start within the year.
Boles said he met with Comer when the congressman was in town to speak at the local Chamber of Commerce’s Annual Dinner in September.
“I’m proud to have worked alongside local leaders to support this critical water infrastructure project in Henderson that will strengthen reliability and service for families and businesses,” Comer said in a prepared statement. “These upgrades improve system reliability and provide emergency backup capabilities for the area.”
