Dear Editor,

Last week, Ohio First Lady Fran DeWine visited Barnesville to announce a $2.25 million grant to replace 25,000 linear feet of waterline and construct a new pump station.

The new water main will replace an asbestos 12-inch line installed in 1963, which provides water from the Slope Creek Reservoir to the Barnesville Water Treatment Plant. The original construction material and deterioration over the past sixty years have resulted in water loss due to the leaks.

This water project helps Barnesville and an additional eight communities in rural areas of Belmont, Monroe, Guernsey, and Noble counties. Replacement of the waterline is needed to sustain 3,683 service connections, including 153 businesses.

This initiative shows that our state leaders, including Governor Mike DeWine, Representative Don Jones, and Senator Frank Hoagland, care about helping Ohio’s rural communities and improving our quality of life.

Donald W. Eberhart

Barnesville