Along Highway 167 in Union Parish, it’s hard to miss the water tower approaching the town of Bernice. The 125-foot structure, with it’s unmistakable "tin-man" design, is older than the classic film that featured a character by that name.
Bill Mitcham is the town’s mayor. Just like the tin man’s malady in the movie, he says rust and weathering were taking a toll on the steel symbol of the downtown area. "They were in need of repairs, sandblasting, and repainting," he said. The tanks serve over 1,600 residents in Bernice.
After a notification in 2007 from the Department of Health and Hospitals, the town could not afford the half-million dollar price tag for the work on the tanks. Mitcham came into office in 2011, he says the department handed down a mandate. "We had a deadline of November 2013 to complete the project," Mitcham said.
The town applied and was awarded a $250-thousand dollar grant from the Delta Regional Authority. The federal agency provides funds for rural, high-poverty communities in eight states across the Mississippi Delta.
After reviewing a number of possibilities to locate additional resources, Mitcham found the answer in the DHH’s Drinking Water Revolving Loan Fund. The town secured $255,000 only a month away from the deadline.
Dan McDonald is a project engineer with DHH. He says the loan fund is ideal for communities that have more traditional replacement projects. There are currently 27 projects under consideration.
A points-based worksheet is provided to the department with the initial application. Program Director Jennifer Wilson says each is prioritized based on two sets of criteria. "Under administrative criteria, we allot points based on violations. The physical criteria allots points on what's being achieved by the project.
Bernice officials went through a similar pros and cons approach about what to do with the water tanks. Some thought to build a new, cheaper tank and retire the original as a landmark. But the consensus was to see the project through.
Mitcham sees the decision to rehab the landmark as a win-win. Preserving the vital service of the fire department and providing drinking water for the town. The project is expected to be completed by late summer.
