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The city of Lanett will use the $4.3 million grant it received from the Pipelines Hazardous Materials Safety Administration to replace and update its natural gas pipeline system.

The Natural Gas Distribution Infrastructure Safety and Modernization Grant was distributed nationwide. Lanett was one out of only five cities in Alabama to receive the grant.

“We were fortunate to get it, and we are proud that we got it because we need to go in and replace those cast iron pipes,” said Mayor Jamie Heard.

The city of Lanett has a total of 76 miles of cast iron, plastic and steel pipes. Out of that, only seven miles of cast iron distribution pipes have to be replaced. The grant will also help to update the regulator station and update leak protection equipment.

The PHMSA, a part of the US Department of Transportation, administered a grant that aimed to appropriate $1 billion in aid over five years for cities with high-risk natural gas distribution pipes. 

The grant is meant to be used by municipalities to repair or replace natural gas distribution pipeline systems to reduce incidents and fatalities and impact economic losses.

The next step for Lanett is to begin receiving bids for a contract to make the repairs.

“With our limited staff, we will not be able to perform this job so we will contract that out,” Heard said. 

Heard hopes to have a company in line to make the repairs by this time next month.