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May 02, 2024

Ohio BUILDS dollars fund Valley initiatives

Jul 22, 2023 State officials on Friday announced grant awards totaling $135 million that will support 90 critical water and sewer infrastructure projects in 64 counties throughout the state, including

Jul 22, 2023

State officials on Friday announced grant awards totaling $135 million that will support 90 critical water and sewer infrastructure projects in 64 counties throughout the state, including in the Mahoning Valley.

To benefit are Youngstown, Mahoning County, Cortland, West Farmington and Columbiana.

The grants will help reduce or eliminate the financial burden community leaders face regarding infrastructure needs such as new water distribution systems, waterline extensions, water tower replacements, and new pipes and water mains. Grants also will fund projects to replace sanitary sewer systems, prevent system backups and extend sewer lines to support economic growth.

Locally:

• Cortland will receive a $284,105 grant for water facility improvements. Project activities will include upgrades to the well field piping and the replacement of the Main Street waterline. The well field piping upgrades will be located in the east side of the city, and will include installing a replacement conduit from the chlorination building near the water tower, running east along Russell Avenue. This will connect four existing wells to the chlorination building. The new water main will be installed along Main Street, from North Mecca Street, running east to North High Street. The project will benefit 7,100 people.

• West Farmington village will receive a $394,500 grant to install a septic receiving station that will serve a wide surrounding area of unsewered properties in many Trumbull County townships, as well as surrounding counties. The station will have an automatic receiving and monitoring station system with a key pad reader, automatic valve, rock trap, flow meter, pumps and controls within a small, prefabricated building. The septage will be pumped into the wastewater treatment plant’s adjacent influent mechanical screen for proper treatment. The project will address the area’s public health issues with more cost-effective septage disposal. The project will benefit 10,163 people.

• Youngstown will receive a $4,839,300 grant to replace an existing combined sewer along the Mahoning River, spanning from Division Street to West Avenue. Approximately 10,800 linear feet of 60-inch and 48-inch sewer will be installed, along with a road for maintenance access and a bike path. Upsizing the existing sewer will allow for more storage capacity, helping eliminate combined sewer overflows. The project will benefit 127,000 people.

• Mahoning County Board of Commissioners will receive a $584,958 grant for a waterline replacement project in Lake Milton. Project activities include replacing approximately 2,935 linear feet of 6-inch waterline, 12 new gate valves, five new fire hydrants and installing 43 services on the west side. Improvements to the east side will consist of replacing 3,985 linear feet of 6-inch waterline, 18 new gate valves, five fire hydrants and installing 35 services. The project will benefit 113 people.

• City of Columbiana will receive a $1,316,824 grant to construct more than 16,000 feet of water line that will connect the new Crestview Road wellfield to the water treatment plant, allowing Columbiana and Fairfield Township residents to receive high-quality drinking water. The project will benefit 6,400 people.

These grants are part of the fifth round of the Ohio Broadband, Utilities, and Infrastructure for Local Development Success, or BUILDS, water infrastructure program. Since its inception, the program has provided nearly $500 million to support 343 local water projects impacting each of Ohio’s 88 counties.

“From the first dollar awarded through this program to now, we’ve made hundreds of transformative investments in the future of our communities,” Gov. Mike DeWine said. “Having a strong water infrastructure not only safeguards the health and well-being of our residents, but it makes our neighborhoods more resilient and better prepares local leaders for sustainable economic growth.”

The DeWine-Husted Administration launched the Ohio BUILDS water infrastructure program in 2021 as a continuation of DeWine’s H2Ohio initiative, which launched in 2019 to focus on ensuring plentiful, clean, and safe water for communities across the state. In total, nearly $1.3 billion has been dedicated to the initiative.

“This additional round of funding will help communities from one corner of the state to the next replace aging, overwhelmed infrastructure, ensuring that Ohioans have access to clean drinking water,” said Lt. Gov. John Husted. “These projects will not only greatly improve the quality of life for residents in these areas, but they also boost economic growth related to business expansion and housing development.”

The first three rounds of the program — awarded in October 2021, November 2021 and December 2021 — were funded with $250 million from the American Rescue Plan Act appropriated by the 134th Ohio General Assembly. Both the previous and current rounds of this award were funded through an additional $250 million in ARPA dollars appropriated by the legislature through House Bill 45, which was signed by DeWine in January 2023.

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