Aqua Connecting Campbell Water to Poland Treatment Plant

CAMPBELL, Ohio – The week of April 4, the City of Campbell will have its water supplied by the Poland Township treatment plant after Aqua Ohio retires the Campbell treatment plant.

It’s the final step in Aqua’s plan to incorporate Campbell into its other Mahoning Valley operations, according to a company release. The Poland treatment plant recently underwent a $17.6 million renovation to improve its efficiency and make the addition possible.

“Interconnecting Campbell to our Poland water treatment plant is the last step in the process of bringing the residents of Campbell into our Aqua family,” said Area Manager Jennifer Johnson. “The former Campbell Water Department employees have done a great job producing compliant water from a very dated facility but taking the city’s old water treatment plant out of service was always part of our plan to ensure the drinking water provided to Campbell continues to meet current and future regulatory requirements.”

The change in treatment locations includes a change in disinfection technology, according to the release. The Poland plant uses chloramines instead of free-chlorine to disinfect and preserve water quality once water leaves the plant. 

Aqua states this process is superior to using chlorine alone because it offers longer lasting disinfection and reduces the formation of potentially harmful byproducts. Customers shouldn’t notice changes in appearance, taste or smell of the water, according to the release.

However, dialysis patients should consult their physician and/or equipment supplier about ways to deal with the change in disinfection processes, the release states.

Additionally, aquatic pet owners should use additives that neutralize chloramines (liquid drops, widely available at pet stores) whenever they add tap water to their tanks.

Aqua purchased the Campbell water system as part of a $7.5 million agreement with the city in January 2020 and invested $4 million to enhance water quality, reliability, regulatory and environmental standards in the system. Over the last two years, Aqua has replaced valves and hydrants, upgraded all water meters and fixed leaks in the distribution which decreased the amount of lost water in the system.

There is no job loss as a result of the Campbell plant closure as Aqua has awarded jobs to all remaining water department employees as promised in the purchase agreement, according to the release.

Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.