A long-standing boil-water advisory has been lifted in the Village of Coal Grove, since the upgrades to the water system are almost completed. The precautionary advisory had been in place since November when work on the system began.

“It’s been a long process,” Mayor Larry McDaniel said.

Fire hydrants and cut-off valves in the city were replaced. The project also included digging a new well and installing a new aerator.

The village also provides water service to portions of Deering.

“The only thing left to be done is the final connection — the well has been drilled but they’re connecting it to the water plant,” said Paul Amburgey of E.L. Robinson Engineering.

E.L. Robinson handled the engineering plans and also oversaw the project.

The new cut-off values mean that the village will not have to shut off water for the entire village anytime a leak occurs. That means each leak will take less time to repair.

“It will tremendously help us out with the water,” Kevin Markins, Coal Grove water superintendent, said.

Funding for the project was supplied by about $500,000 in stimulus funding. About $100,000 was a loan and the rest was grant money.

“The village very much appreciates getting this stimulus money,” Amburgey said.

The old valves, which were installed just after World War II, had seized up and were not working, Amburgey said.

“It was very much needed,” he said. “These valves and hydrants were not working. You want to shut off the valve that’s closest to the leak. We had so many (valves) not working that large amounts of the system had to be turned off (when there was a leak).”

Besides the cut-off valves, new fire hydrants were also installed in the village. About 25 fire hydrants were installed in the village water’s service area.

“There were only a few not working,” McDaniel said about the fire hydrants. Before the new hydrants, “(the fire department) just tried to connect to the closest (working) ones.”