CASA GRANDE – Thanks to money from a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), the residents in the Colonia del Sol subdivision near Casa Grande will be seeing more fire hydrants in their neighborhoods starting in September.

A local company, Central Arizona Pipeline of Casa Grande, has been awarded a contract by Pinal County to install 18 fire hydrants in the subdivision.

The contractor is expected to begin the approximately $110,000 project on Tuesday, September 8. The installation is expected to be completed within 90 days of the start of the project.

“The community of Colonia del Sol has gone far too long without this basic tool for fire fighting,” said David Snider, Pinal County Board of Supervisors Chairman and District 3 Supervisor. “We will continue to work on finding additional grant funds so we can purchase additional hydrants and complement the efforts of the Arizona Water Company to upgrade the water system in the Colonia as well as the City of Casa Grande’s project to extend sewer service into the subdivision. Unfortunately, the competition for these funds is significant so this extended effort will take some time,” he concluded.

Pinal County receives approximately $130,000 each year in CDBG funds in an effort to address the needs of low income communities. Funds come from the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development to the Arizona Department of Housing, which then distributes the money to rural communities.

In the past five years, Pinal County has been partnering with the City of Casa Grande to improve infrastructure and housing in the Colonia del Sol subdivision. This partnership has resulted in several homes being rehabilitated and constructed, as well as many sewer and street improvements in the southwest portion of the Colonia.

“Because of limited funding, the governments of the Casa Grande and Pinal County strive to pool resources for the benefit of this neighborhood,” said Ernie Feliz, Pinal County Grants Coordinator. “This is another great opportunity to provide infrastructure where it is sorely needed.”