FERRIDAY — The U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee has recommended the Town of Ferriday be given “special consideration” by the U.S. Rural Water Program, a statement from U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu’s office said.

While that doesn’t mean the town will immediately receive any funding from the program, it is higher up in the line to receive funds to fix its ailing water system when they become available, Ferriday Mayor Glen McGlothin said.

“I am hoping this will expedite the process,” McGlothin said.

“We are trying to do this so we don’t have to wait a year, two years or three years before we start work.”

The town already has $200,000 of its own money designated for a water solution, and it will receive $250,000 in state funding.

McGlothin said the town is trying to line up $750,000 in funding from the federal source.

The plan that has begun to take shape in recent weeks will be for the town to drill new wells near Vidalia and pipe the water to an entirely new water plant, McGlothin said.

“The number one thing is we have got to get out of the (Old) River,” McGlothin said.

Old River is the town’s current water source, and its high mineral and organic content has made treating water difficult.

The town’s new plans will be revealed at next Tuesday’s meeting of the board of aldermen, and engineer Bryant Hammett and representatives from the department of health and hospitals will be present, McGlothin said.

Hammett has been touring facilities at municipalities with similar water plant setups, McGlothin said.

As part of the water system revival, McGlothin said the new plant will have an iron-clad management plan that will not allow for the plant to fall into disrepair depending on each successive town administration.

“We are going to be held to a higher standard,” McGlothin said.

“I don’t care who the mayor is 20 years from now — I don’t want them to have to build a new plant.”