Altha residents and businesses will soon be able to enjoy better water quality.

Town officials along with USDA Rural Development officially broke ground on their new water system upgrades this morning.
The town first established a centralized water system in 1962.
But through the years, a number of problems have come up such as inadequate water storage, a high concentration level of hydrogen sulfide and a lack of fire hydrants.

"Well, what is being done now is we are putting in this 126-thousand gallon tank which is also an aerator. So when we get rid of the sulfur, then it will be pumped into the regular water system to back up and improve fire safety and water supply and everything else," says Altha Mayor Wes Johnston.

The project was made possible through Rural Development providing $766,000 and a $600,000 Community Development Block Grant by the State of Florida.
The groundbreaking was originally scheduled back in July but had to be postponed because of bad weather.