By Verna Slate, Williamson County Bureau
HERRIN — Old pipe under old streets — that's the bill Herrin's council members will take up Monday, when they consider seeking nearly $1 million in federal funding for a West Monroe Street water main replacement project, the Southern Illinoisan reports.
Water mains don't make headlines until they fail, and in a coal town built on a century-plus of underground work, the ground under Herrin's streets has seen its share of strain. A near-million-dollar ask for one stretch of pipe says something about the scale of what's aging out across the city's infrastructure.
The council meeting is the next step; whether the federal money comes through will determine how soon West Monroe Street sees new pipe in the ground. Residents on that stretch, and the taxpayers who'll help cover whatever the grant doesn't, have reason to watch what happens at the table Monday.
— Compiled from reporting by the Southern Illinoisan.
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