CAVE CITY — Work to install 70,000 feet of a 16-inch water transmission line from Hardyville along U.S. 31E to a new 1 million gallon storage tank near Payton Place subdivision is under way.

It is one of three major water projects the Green River Valley Water District will be doing this year.

The second project includes the installation of 75,000 3-inch and 4-inch water lines and two pump stations to service consumers on Wheeler and Polly roads in Larue County, Willie Rice and Dewey Kidd roads in Green County and Priceville, Chestnut Grove Cemetery, Marshall Highbaugh, Buckner Hill North, Francis Gardner, Oris Stasel, D. Williams and Hopewell Church roads in Hart County, plus a 500,000 gallon clear well at the water district’s water plant.

The third project consists of 36,000 feet of 3-inch and 4-inch water line and pump station on LG&E; Gas Plant, Jones Schoolhouse, Poteet, Eudora and Maxey Knob roads in Hart County.

“Mainly this will allow for future growth for industry and additional water lines to be able to take care of all of our petitions for water, people who have petitioned for water,” said David Paige, manager of the Green River Valley Water District. “Once they are complete that will actually take care of all the petitions we currently have on file regarding water for our service area.”

The water projects will also improve water pressure for fire protection.

The one thing Hart County Judge-Executive Terry Martin had the most calls about when he first took office was a lack of water service in Hart County.

Martin said the Green River Valley Water District is able to take on these projects thanks to $1 million in federal funding secured by U.S. Rep. Mitch McConnell, State Sen. Carroll Gibson (R-Leitchfield) and Rep. Dottie Sims (D-Horse Cave), who secured $800,000 through the state budget.

“Everybody who has a petition on file with the Green River Valley Water District will be getting water in this round, and that’s a big accomplishment,” Martin said.

When discussing funding for the project, Martin told McConnell that Hart County has Internet access countywide but not water.

“It’s the best project we’ve had going since I’ve been here,” Martin said. “It’s good to see people who want water can get it.”

Funding for the 70,000 feet of 16-inch water transmission line is coming from a loan the Green River Valley Water District obtained from the Kentucky Rural Water Finance Corporation. The storage tank portion of that project is being funded by a loan through the Kentucky Infrastructure Authority.

The 75,000 feet of 3-inch and 4-inch water lines is being funded in part by a grant through the Environmental Protection Agency. The 36,000 feet of 3-inch and 4-inch water line project is being funded through a Kentucky Infrastructure Authority grant.

“In total, grant monies we received $1,756,000,” Paige said. “The total project cost, off the top of my head, is about $6 million.”

The Green River Valley Water District provides drinking water to residents in Hart, Barren, Metcalfe, Larue and Green counties and serves nearly 8,000 customers.