Water and wastewater upgrades priority for Coshocton City Council
COSHOCTON − The City of Coshocton is continuing to pursue upgrades to its water and wastewater systems through a series of grants and loans.
Coshocton City Council recently had the first reading of legislation approving entering into a Water Pollution Control Loan Fund agreement for a digester improvement project at the Coshocton Wastewater Treatment Plant. The loan will be paid back through sewage usage charges.
The project is estimated at $11.25 million. The plant has two primary digesters and one secondary digester, which treat wastewater solids, that were last upgraded 30 years ago. They haven't been cleaned since that time and accumulated debris has reduced working volume, according to Utilities Director Dave Kadri. He also said the covers have been repaired numerous times over the years and need replacement. Improvements will allow equipment to keep up with demand for the next 20 years, Kadri added.
In other news:
● Council also had second reading of an ordinance authorizing the advertising of bids for the Coshocton to Warsaw waterline expansion. This project is similar to the one that took water and water services to West Lafayette in 2021.
The project will be financed by a combination of loans and grants from the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Army Corp of Engineers and other funding sources with any loans to be paid back through water usage fees. In March, it was announced the City of Coshocton would get $1 million for the project in federal funding.
● At the next regular meeting, council is expected to consider gaining easements to six properties on Ohio 60 near the campus of River View Local Schools. Safety Service Director Max Crown said the properties only have a 3 foot right-of-way, when 10-foot is usually standard. More room is needed for the laying of 10-inch waterlines for the expansion project to Warsaw. River View currently relies on its own water system and the lines would provide water to the campus.
● Council at the next regular meeting will considering approving an application for a $500,000 Critical Infrastructure Grant from the Community Block Development Grant Program for upgrades to equipment and power supply at the city's water well fields. This has already been approved by Coshocton County Commissioners, which the grant program runs through.
A new estimate has the project pegged at $1.1 million and remaining funding would come from other grants or loans, Kadri said. This will include refeeding of electricity by American Electric Power to the entrance of the well field and replacement of obsolete electrical systems in the well field. Kadri said much of the equipment dates back to the 1960s.
Coshocton City Council's next regular meeting is at 6:30 p.m. June 20, at city hall with the committees meeting prior at 5:45 p.m. This a week early due to Memorial Day on June 27.
Leonard Hayhurst is a community content coordinator and general news reporter for the Coshocton Tribune with more than 15 years of local journalism experience and multiple awards from the Ohio Associated Press. He can be reached at 740-295-3417 or llhayhur@coshoctontribune.com. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) at @llhayhurst.
This article originally appeared on Coshocton Tribune: Coshocton City Council working on water and wastewater system upgrades
