Ohio EPA Awards More than $16M to Local Water Infrastructure Projects

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency has awarded more than $16 million in financing to local municipalities for improvements to wastewater and drinking water infrastructure.

Youngstown received the largest amount, $15 million, to replace primary settling tank equipment and electrical upgrades to its wastewater treatment plant. Trumbull County received $1.5 million to build 15,000 linear feet of mainline sanitary sewer pipe to service Liberty Township.

Canfield received $352,000 to design a sewer extension along the Mill Creek bike path. New Waterford was awarded $95,000 to design a waterline and for equipment replacement.

And health departments and county commissions in Columbiana, Mahoning and Trumbull counties received $150,000 in principal forgiveness loans for the repair and replacement of household sewage treatment systems.

In total, the Ohio EPA awarded $181 million in low-interest loan and principal forgiveness funding between Jan. 1 and June 30. The financing is expected to save northeastern Ohio  communities more than $30.7 million. Statewide, the agency awarded $466.5 million, saving more than $90.9 million when compared to market-rate loans.

Also receiving funding were:

• Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District, $47.6 million to upgrade the Easterly Headworks Building conveyor system, improve the aeration tanks and gallery building, replace obsolete logic controllers, and replace HVAC equipment and systems.
• Akron is receiving $88.8 million to replace a pump station, upgrade an existing water reclamation facility, reconstruct sanitary and combined sewers, improve and repair a storage facility, and replace lead service lines. The loans include $299,000 in principal forgiveness, meaning this amount does not have to be repaid.
• Chagrin Falls is receiving $4 million to construct a sanitary sewer overflow elimination system, transfer service to an existing 12-inch line, and design improvements to the wastewater treatment plant.
  Barberton is receiving $347,000 to replace the Brentwood Package Plant with a conventional gravity sanitary sewer extension.
• Lagrange is receiving $87,765 to rehabilitate its elevated drinking water storage tank to alleviate corrosion and deterioration in order to provide a safe potable water supply.
• Geauga County is receiving $3.3 million to upgrade the Auburn Corners wastewater treatment plant and connect the Troy Oaks pump station to Auburn Corners.
• Willoughby, $6.7 million to convert two primary settling tanks to equalization basins.
• West Salem, $6.1 million to expand the existing wastewater treatment plant from 204,000 gallons per day to 554,000 gallons per day to provide for anticipated future expansion. The loan includes $4 million in principal forgiveness, meaning this amount does not have to be repaid.
• Alliance, $979,000 to design and construct mixing, aeration, and ventilation equipment for the water treatment plant.
• Cleveland Museum of Natural History, $1.7 million to protect, in perpetuity, approximately 118-acres (25 acres of Category 3 and Category 2 wetlands, 9,800 linear feet of Primary Headwater Habitat, and 2,600 linear feet of East Branch Cuyahoga River frontage and riparian corridor). The funding is from the Water Resource Restoration Sponsor Program. Through the program, the city of Akron is directing a portion of the interest to be repaid on its WRF Headworks Improvements project loan be used for the restoration project.
• Cleveland Metroparks, $1.8 million to remove a low-head dam in Bonnie Park, located in the Mill Stream Run Reservation. The project includes stream restoration, creation of an upriver flood plain, and wetlands restoration. The funding is from the Water Resource Restoration Sponsor Program. Through the program, the city of Akron is directing a portion of the interest to be repaid on its WRF Headworks Improvements project loan be used for the restoration project.
• Health Departments, Districts, and County Commissions in the following counties are receiving $150,000 in principal forgiveness loans for the repair and replacement of household sewage treatment systems: Carroll, Cuyahoga, Geauga, Holmes, Lake, Lorain, Medina, Portage, Stark, Summit and Wayne.
• Ashtabula County, $100,000 in principal forgiveness loans for the repair and replacement of household sewage treatment systems.
  

Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.