MCCLURE WATER IMPROVEMENTS SLATED

EAST CAPE GIRARDEAU, Ill. -- Construction of a new well and improvements to the existing water treatment facility at McClure will get under way within the next 10 days.

"Our water system has been in existence here more than 20 years," said Clyde ("Bud") Pearce Jr., chairman of the McClure-East Cape Girardeau Public Water System. "Due to new Environmental Protection Agency regulations, we have to upgrade our system."

Pearce; Marvin N. Teckenbrock, district director of the Farmers Home Administration; Paul J. Molinarolo, FmHA loan specialist; Rod Martin, an engineer from the Hunter, Martin and Associates of Paducah, Ky.; and others gathered at the East Cape Girardeau City Hall Monday to finalize plans for a loan and grant to complete the $280,000 project.

Funds for the 90-day project include a $102,500 Community Economic Development Assistance Program grant and $32,000 from a FmHA loan. The remainder of the cost will come from local funding, said Pearce.

We've been fortunate with our present water system," said Pearce. "It was put into place more than 20 years ago 1969 at a cost of $243,000, and we've never had any serious difficulty with the system."

The water system provides service to more than 350 families in the immediate area.

"The area includes East Cape Girardeau, McClure, and the rural area north to the Union County line, and south to near Gale," said Pearce.

Martin explained that the bulk of the funds would go to the drilling of the well.

"We have only minor improvements to the treatment facility concerning the backwash filtering system of water," said Martin. "The new well will be located about 1,000 feet from the existing well and will be used alternately in response to new EPA standards."