The Selma times-Journal

For 141 residents in the Beloit community, a newly awarded grant might mean a cleaner and healthier environment.

Foster, the president of the Texas based Foster’s Consultant Group, said that many of the residents were experiencing septic system problems.

In response to this, Foster began searching for a solution &045; and found one &045; in the form of a $282,000 grant from the Clearbrook Corporation.

Bruce Wagner, president of Clearbrook Corporation, said that he awarded the funds because he has a personal desire to see improvements in that area.

Although the grant will be used to decrease the cost of installing an alternative mini -wastewater treatment system by 20%, other funding sources are available.

The one time grant – in the amount of $7,500 – can be combined with a one percent loan to pay the remaining cost of their treatment system.

Called FAST – which stands for fixed activated sludge treatment system – it works differently than a traditional septic system.

Wagner said that because his system is aerobic (creating friendly bacteria) and not anaerobic (creating harmful bacteria), it produces no pathogens.

Wagner said that his system will not only improve the water quality of the area, but the discharge will actually clean up some of the damage that is already there.