The Village of Ashley has secured a $365,000 grant through the Residential Public Infrastructure Program. The funds are to be applied to a $1.1 million project to repair parts of the wastewater treatment plant that the Ohio EPA said is not up to standard.

“The plant was built sometime in 1978,” said Mayor Jim Nelson. “It’s probably due for an upgrade.”

The village plant serves 552 households and businesses.

Nelson said the village was first approached by the OEPA about 18 months ago about the condition of the plant and the village has since been engaged in securing the needed funds.

“When those guys tell you to do something you do it,” he said. “So we met and went through the numbers.”

Nelson said the funds will be used to construct a new holding basin plus upgrade the old equipment with the work beginning sometime in July.

According to a news release from Ohio Development Services Agency, the funds are to be used “for the construction of a new 290,000-gallon earthen equalization basin for wet weather events and the construction of an equalization effluent control system.”

Also three of the pumps in the influent pump station will be replaced and the rehabilitation of the sludge reed beds.

Nelson said the basins currently tends to overflow into the creek during heavy rains.

“That’s a bad thing,” he said. “But after all that we’ll be good to go.”

Nelson said village officials worked with several agencies to secure funds for the upgrades.

“We’ve secured a loan also to pay for the work along with the grant,” he said.

The Residential Public Infrastructure Program is administered by the Ohio Development Services Agency’s Office of Community Development. The grant is made possible by the Community Development Block Grant.