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Millions awarded to update area water, sewer systems

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By Steve Bennish, Staff Writer Updated 12:11 AM Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Local governments will get millions in funding from the Obama administration’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act combined with low-interest state loans to clean up antiquated water and sewer systems and protect rivers and streams.

The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency announced Tuesday, Feb. 9, that an additional $78.7 million has been obligated to fund 47 water quality improvement projects around the state.

For example, the Tri-Cities Regional Wastewater Authority in Dayton will use a $1.9 million subsidy to install a new biodiesel-fueled generator and a bio-gas generator to reduce the use of fossil fuels.

The area projects:

Clark County received a $94,325 subsidy to combine with a $91,378 low-interest loan totaling $185,703 to line sewers and rehabilitate manholes to stop excess water infiltrating the Northridge area collection system, limiting combined sewer overflows into the Mad River. The county also received a $68,409 subsidy to combine with an equal low-interest loan totaling $136,818 to line sewers in the Park Layne area, reducing clean water that infiltrates these sewers, which are tributary to the Southwest Regional Waste Water Treatment Plant and discharge into the Mad River;

Miami County received a $1.5 million subsidy and a $3.1 million interest-free loan totaling $4.6 million to install gravity sewers, a pump station and a force main to collect Fletcher’s village wastewater and send it to the city of Piqua’s sanitary sewer system, replacing failing home septic systems in Fletcher and eliminating a package wastewater treatment plant at Washington Elementary School. The county also received a $250,000 subsidy and a $300,173 interest-free loan totaling $550,173 to install gravity sanitary sewers and storm sewers in the Hilltop Subdivision in Monroe Township to replace failing home septic systems and a section of combined sanitary and storm sewer line. In addtion, the county received a $274,250 subsidy and a $723,129 interest-free loan totaling $997,379 to construct sanitary sewers in Concord Twp., connect the area to previously installed sewers along County Road 25A and convey sewage to the Troy Wastewater Treatment Plant, replacing aging or outdated home septic and commercial treatment systems.

Osgood in Darke County received a $1.5 million subsidy to combine with a $1.24 million interest-free loan totaling more than $2.7 million to construct a wastewater treatment lagoon and sanitary sewer system to address failing on-lot septic systems collaboratively with the villages of North Star and Yorkshire.

Tri-Cities Regional Wastewater Authority in Montgomery County received a $1.9 million subsidy with no loan repayment to replace wastewater pumps at the North Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant, 3777 Needmore Road in Dayton, with high-efficiency electric pumps and a new biodiesel-fueled generator and a bio-gas generator to reduce the use of fossil fuels and reduce cost of operation.

Xenia received a $539,972 subsidy with no loan repayment to restore and stabilize about 1,000 feet of the Little Miami River to reduce major problems, while preserving the Little Miami’s designation as a State and National Scenic River.

Hillsboro in Highland County received a $5 million subsidy to combine with a $10.2 million low-interest loan totaling $15.2 million to increase the capacity at the wastewater treatment plant and add wastewater flow equalization to eliminate wet weather by-passes to Clear Creek.

In all, stimulus funding will support 267 water pollution control projects in 160 communities and 65 drinking water projects in 52 communities in Ohio.

In all, the OEPA’s Water Pollution Control Loan Fund will receive $220.6 million in federal Recovery Act funding to combine with $730 million in non-federal funding. That goes some distance to address a need that has been estimated in the billions of dollars, said Linda Oros, a spokewoman for OEPA.

This will provide more than $950 million for water quality improvement projects. When compared to market loan rates, the combination of stimulus grants and low-interest loans would save Ohio communities $569 million in financing costs over 20 years, OEPA said.

The OEPA’s Water Supply Revolving Loan Account, for drinking water projects, is slated to receive $58.46 million in a recovery act grant to combine with $81 million other grants, bonds and repayments. Ohio plans to offer a total of about $140 million. When compared to market loan rates, the combination of stimulus grants and low-interest revolving laccount loans would save Ohio communities $154 million in financing costs over 20 years, OEPA said.

For more information on the federal program, see www.epa.gov/recovery/, or see the Web sites below for Ohio specific details.

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First off, I always thought Springfield had great tasting water, now with the Stimulas Money it will stay that way...good for you Spfld.
Second...what do the people who post comments say nothing that has to do with the article?

Ellen Phillips
4:42 PM, 2/10/2010

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Yes. Fleshwaste. That describes the LoonySquirrel perfectly. Perhaps she will fall into a sewer and be flushed into the sea. We can only pray to her tribal godhead for deliverance from her lunatic ravings.

Flush-the-Squirrell
3:48 PM, 2/10/2010

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"...stem cell research, which is, of course, against a majority of citizens' religious beliefs"

Yet another assertion you need to prove.

Mr. A
1:14 PM, 2/10/2010

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Hugh, it would be great if you had a personality to match your good looks. You sound rather scary. I'm fleshwaste? Because I believe in God? Or because I have different opinions than yourself? One of these days your looks will fade. You need to work on your personality because that attack on me was totally unwarranted. I can handle debating without attacking a person's character. Why can't you? Do you hate everybody you disagree with? I don't. I'm confident enough to have my own opinions.

Squirrellygirl
1:03 PM, 2/10/2010

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Actually, DJC, the Constitution says the government shall "provide for the common defense" and "promote the general welfare." You should consider reading it, pretty short and to the point.
These projects provide much-needed jobs now and help our children by upgrading worn-out water/sewer services that pollute our water supply and our rivers.
Knee-jerk reactions such as yours are not helpful with dealing with our many problems.

Informed Taxpayer
12:51 PM, 2/10/2010

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