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MONROE CITY, MO. -- Residents of Monroe City, Missouri will need to vote on a bond issue regarding sewer line renovations.

Some of Monroe City's sewer lines have been around since indoor plumbing was introduced to the city.

This upcoming election, residents of the city will vote on whether or not to accept federal funding to pay for sewage renovations.

U.S.D.A. Rural Development awarded the city a grant as well as a low interest loan to cover the costs of this project. The loan would cover around $4.3 million while the grant is worth around $678 thousand.

Mayor Neal Minor of Monroe City said, "Those lines, they are crumbling. They have holes in them. We get lots of infiltration of rain water."

The project includes repairing or replacing many of the cities sewer lines as well as replacing ninety-five manhole covers.

Monroe City began inspecting the sewers over the last five years. Sewer rates were raised over the past year to cover existing plan, raising two hundred thousand a year.

With the original plan, the city would finish the project in twenty-five years, but if the city votes yes on the bond issue, the project is expected to only take up to two years.

If approved, there will be no tax increase for residents. The city will continue on the project whether or not the issue is approved. If the city decided not to work on the sewer lines at all, it would face a fine from the Department of Natural Resources.