5 Ohio communities – including Greenfield – to receive $3.75 million for water, wastewater improvement
COLUMBUS – Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and Ohio Department of Development Director Lydia Mihalik today announced five communities will receive a total of $3.75 million in Residential Public Infrastructure Grant funding for improvements to their local water and wastewater treatment facilities.
The second round of grants, funded through the federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), will empower these communities to improve the quality of life for their more than 12,500 residents by providing safe and reliable drinking water and proper disposal of sanitary waste.
“The impact of these grants goes far beyond just improving infrastructure; it reaches the heart of every home and every family in these communities,” said Governor DeWine. “Clean water is a basic necessity of life, and we’re dedicated to ensuring that more Ohioans have access reliable water services.”
Project activities funded this round include treatment plant upgrades, improvements to water and wastewater collection systems, sewer line replacements, and more. The grant ceiling for each project was $750,000.
“No Ohioan should ever have to wonder if their glass of water is safe to drink,” Director Mihalik said. “Through this program, we’re helping leaders across the state invest in the future of their neighborhoods and safeguard the health and well-being of the people who call their communities home.”
Ohio communities receiving grants are:
• Highland County will receive $750,000 to assist the village of Greenfield with sanitary sewer line replacements. The village’s current collection system is plagued by severe inflow and infiltration, causing wastewater to flow to the surface across the village. This project will replace sanitary sewer lines, sewer and service lines, wyes, manholes, and catch basins in the most affected areas. The project will benefit 4,339 people.
• The Village of Paulding (Paulding County) will receive $750,000 to improve its wastewater collection system. The part of the collection system that serves the Emerald Acres neighborhood in the north end of the village is a major contributor to infiltration and inflow during wet weather events. Pipes in this area are 60 years old, undersized, and made of clay, requiring replacement. The project will benefit 3,635 people.
• The Village of Jackson Center (Shelby County) will receive $750,000 to improve its water system. The current water treatment plant, constructed in 1976, has received numerous violations recently for exceeding maximum containment levels. To bring the plant back into compliance and guarantee safe drinking water, the village will construct a new building to house updated treatment components while utilizing the existing building to improve efficiency. The project will benefit 1,382 people.
• The Village of Richwood (Union County) will receive $750,000 to construct a new wastewater treatment plant to eliminate health hazards associated with the aging plant and increase capacity to serve growing communities in the region. The original plant was constructed in 1936 and expanded in 1975. Both the equipment and building housing the plant are past their useful lives, and the failing components at the plant have received violations from the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency. The project, including a Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Grant award of 2,650,000, will benefit 2,270 people.
• The Village of Convoy (Van Wert County) will receive $750,000 to rehabilitate the sanitary sewer collection system. The system, originally constructed in 1938, is past its useful life and experiences severe inflow and infiltration during wet weather events – sending untreated wastewater to the surface. This project will eliminate flooding and ensure the system can properly process wastewater during rainy weather. The project will benefit 903 people.
• On Sept. 22, Henry County, the village of Junction City, and the village of Macksburg were awarded a total of $2.25 million in a first round of Residential Public Infrastructure Grants funding toward improvements to their own wastewater facilities. These projects are expected to benefit more than 1,300 Ohioans.
The Ohio Department of Development empowers communities to succeed by investing in Ohio’s people, places, and businesses. Learn more about our work at development.ohio.gov.