A brand-new $10 million water treatment plant and a new grant means parts of Knott and Perry County will get clean running water for the first time.

Officials in Knott County say their area has the lowest percentage of municipal water available to people of any Kentucky county.

These same officials want to change that, and now they can, thanks to a brand-new water treatment plant.

"People have to have water, it's the necessity of life. So we have to do everything we can to get as many people as possible to get a source of good, clean, dependable, drinking water," Knott County Judge Executive Randy Thompson said.

The plant allows the county to supply water, and a $2.2 million grant from the Division of Abandoned Mine Lands will help pay for new supply lines.

"We have a reliable source of water that will not only do Knott County, but surrounding counties. Now that we have a source of water, we can really start expanding," Thompson said.

Now, there will be clean water in Irishman Creek, the Corps of Engineers, Carr Creek State Park, and Highway 15 from the plant on Carr Creek, and north up to the Perry County line.

"We can see the quality of life for people in Knott County improving for our people, and that is a wonderful thing," Alice Ritchie, of the Knott County Water and Sewer District, said.

"Now that we have the Carr Creek water treatment plant operational , we can expand that to probably 80-85% very quickly," Thompson said.

However, other officials have an even bigger goal.

"To get everybody in Knott County good, potable water," Ritchie said.

A goal they say they will work hard to achieve.

The water treatment plant will eventually supply water to parts of Letcher and Perry counties as well.

Phase one of the project starts on Monday.