MONROE -- Union had to find a water or sewer project to spend $2 million on, or potentially lose federal money.

To help fund an $8 million sewer project in the eastern part of Union, the county will ask that $1.961 million previously designated for other projects be used to improve the eastside wastewater collection system and increase sewer capacity in that area.

In 2001 and 2002, Union received about $1.961 million in congressional earmarks through the Environmental Protection Agency for “water infrastructure improvements,” which is broadly defined for any water, wastewater or stormwater project in the county.

In 2003, the county had plans to lay about 107,000 feet of water lines and 21,500 feet of sewer lines in the Rocky River watershed. The plans were broken up into nine projects, but all nine were past the design phase and five were already under construction or completed.

When using federal money, the county must follow stricter guidelines than when using only state or local money. Those terms, for example, include compliance with the EPA’s program to use small, minority and women’s business enterprises. Because Union had already started the projects, it did not go back to meet some of these requirements.

When the public works department then sought the reimbursement after the projects were complete, the EPA denied the request because not all the criteria was met.

Instead of forfeiting the money, public works director Ed Goscicki proposed that the funds be redirected toward the wastewater-collection improvements.

The EPA puts rules on how a project must be approached to qualify for money, but only Congress can take the money away. Since Congress has already appropriated the money for Union County, it would be unlikely that the request is denied, said Goscicki.

U.S. Rep. Larry Kissel, D-N.C. 8, said he would do what he can to make sure the funding stays intact.

“Our staff will continue to monitor this situation with Union County’s prior wastewater improvements appropriations,” he said in an e-mail. “We pride ourselves on being able to cut through the red tape, and we are here to do everything we can to help our communities get the help they need.”

The project has not gone out to bid and pipes are scheduled to go in the ground later this year and be completed in early 2012.