Agra Water System

City of Agra to make water system improvements using "sweat equity"

The City of Agra will use volunteer labor from the community and $306,471 in KAN STEP funding from the Kansas Department of Commerce (Commerce) to replace aging water lines. The City of Agra is located in Phillips County in north-central Kansas.

The present water distribution system in Agra consists mainly of 2-inch cast iron pipes. Excessive mineralization has resulted in excessive depositing in the pipelines, dramatically reducing flow capacity to the town's citizens. The new project will include installation of 1,080 linear feet of 6-inch pipeline and 12,340 linear feet of 4-inch pipeline. The total cost of the project will be $506,741. The community will provide $200,270 in volunteer labor or "sweat equity" with a KAN STEP grant of $306,471.

Sparkplugs for the project are Francis Gordon and Scott Bretton. Schwab-Eaton, P.A., Manhattan, Kan., is the project consultant. Grant administration is being provided by Michelle Kippes with Northwest Planning and Development Commission. The Kansas Rural Water Association will provide inspection services and assistance to the volunteers.

KAN STEP is a self-help program that enables small communities to make major infrastructure improvements. Local people volunteer labor and services or "sweat equity," while the Kansas Department of Commerce provides funding for materials and technical services. An acronym for Kansas Small Towns Environment Program, KAN STEP gives small Kansas communities an opportunity to do projects they couldn't otherwise afford. The funding is provided through the federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program.