Officials from Hancock County's Oakland Public Service District broke ground on Thursday for substantial upgrades to its water treatment facilities.

The $4.9 million project will include installation of high-pressure filters in a new masonry water treatment process structure, construction of a water tank, six miles of new distribution lines, and makeovers of two existing water tanks.

Project manager Gregory Scott said the work is critical to complete.


"Currently the district has wells that they pump underground. They add the chlorine and they pump out to the system. (State officials are) requiring that the iron and manganese be removed from the water," Scott said.


Scott said once the project is complete, customers will have improved water quality right away.


"Odor, taste, the orange stain in the toilet -- it comes from the iron. Likewise, when you do laundry, the laundry might come out orange. With the removal of the iron and manganese, that will go away, so the customers will notice an immediate change in the water quality."


Hancock County Commissioner Jeff Davis said the upgrades may also allow the Oakland Public Service District to expand and pick up additional customers who won't have to deal with current unfavorable water conditions.


Davis said the commission put a couple hundred thousand dollars toward the project, "but the hard work came from the board members Larry Manypenny, Cindy Jones and George Rollich for going out, working hard, getting grant money to get this become reality."


Most of the construction work will be complete by the end of the year, but the work on the water tanks could take longer due to the weather and project phasing.