One of Belmont County's most highly anticipated infrastructure projects may be getting a major financial boost from the federal government.

U.S. Sen. George Voinovich announced that an appropriations bill passed by the Senate late Thursday included funding for many water, sewer and environmental conservation projects across Ohio. Among those projects is the Neffs sewer system project in Belmont County.

Residents of Neffs have been seeking sewer service for many years. The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency has issued a mandate that a plan be followed through, and county officials have kept the project on the front burner in recent years.

Much of the engineering has been completed for the project. Earlier this year, officials said they expected around 160 customers to tap into the new system. At the time, officials said that would translate to a monthly cost of about $50 per new customer.

The legislation will now move into conference, where the differences between the House and Senate versions will be rectified.

"I've long said that Ohio faces a public health crisis when it comes to the state of our water and sewer infrastructure," Voinovich said. "That's why I am so pleased to support these projects which will create jobs, aid our state's economic competitiveness and improve quality of life for all Ohioans. I urge my colleagues to work together to finalize Congress's funding recommendations and get a bill to the president."

Ohio projects listed on the Fiscal Year 2010 Interior, Environment and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill include a handful of sewer, water and conservation projects throughout the state. All of the items earmarked for funding allocations are major projects for Ohio communities. Among them are a $4 million allocation for acquisition of forest land in Cuyahoga Valley National Park in Summit County and a $400 million earmark for the major Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.

The bill passed the Senate by a vote of 77 to 21.

In March, Belmont County Commissioners joined A.C. Weithe of Belomar Regional Council, and Director Mark Esposito and Project Manager Kelly Porter of the Belmont County Sanitary Sewer District in Washington, D.C., where they met with Sens. Voinovich and Sherrod Brown of Ohio to discuss the need for funding for key projects in the county. Among those was the Neffs sewer project. Belmont County Commissioner Chuck Probst noted that overall, the Neffs sewer project will cost around $2.5 million to complete. He was happy to see that a chunk of the needed funding the project was included in the Interior Appropriations Bill that passed the Senate this week.

"These are all pieces of the funding pie that are being put together," said Probst, noting that local officials were aware that funding for the entire projects would not be provided through this bill. "It is absolutely great to hear. If everything falls in line, we probably could be ready to move forward with this project before the end of next year."

Probst said Belmont County leaders are looking to secure additional funds for the Neffs project through the Appalachian Regional Commission, through Community Development Block Grant funds and through the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which could provide a grant-loan combination.

For the portion of funding the county will likely have to borrow for the project, customers tapping into the new sewer system are expected to share in the repayment of those costs in the future. Probst said officials with the sanitary sewer district are currently looking at alternates which may bring additional customers into the system and, in turn, help bring down the cost to everyone who ties into the new system.