Trending
LISBON -- Columbiana County and the Hanoverton area will be the beneficiaries of more than $500,000 in funding through H2Ohio.
Gov. Mike DeWine's office and the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency announced this week the county is one of eight projects awarded H2Ohio Wastewater Infrastructure Grants, with the county receiving $500,000. The county will be using the money toward the installation of sewer lines in Hanoverton, which will help connect 153 homes in the village to the Kensington wastewater treatment plant.
Chief Deputy Sanitary Engineer Troy Graft of the county engineer's office said Thursday he hopes this will be the final piece of funding needed to finally start construction on the project. Funding has already been secured through the EPA in the amount of $4 million with another $1 million coming to the county through the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
"We're hoping with this H2Ohio funding, it's going to get us to where we need to be," Graft said.
While estimates have the project at more than $5 million, the costs of projects have been on the rise recently and it is difficult to know exactly how much will be needed until the project is bid.
At this point, Graft said the engineer's office is in the process of writing legal descriptions for easements where the sewer lines cannot utilize the right of ways due to narrow streets or other issues. Then engineers will meet with residents and obtain signatures.
If all goes to plan, the project could be bid in September or October, Graft said, with the bulk of the work done in 2022.
"There are a lot of positives with the funding right now and it seems like the community of Hanoverton is excited about this project and so are we," Graft said.
The county is also scheduled to receive a separate grant from H2Ohio for $150,000, which is going to be used by the County Health Department to assist more low-income households across the county with septic replacements for failing systems.
The H2Ohio funding announced through DeWine's office this week totals $9 million for projects throughout the state. The projects are in addition to a new water and sewer program that is coming and being funded with $250 million from the American Rescue Plan Act.
djohnson@mojonews.com