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Warren was one of 11 northeast Ohio communities to be awarded $183 million in financing from Ohio EPA to do wastewater and drinking water infrastructure projects.
Warren's wastewater division has been authorized to use $44.9 million in loans for Phase 1 of an improvement project at the city's pump stations and wastewater treatment plant, according to the city's Wastewater Division director.
The city has not received money but the authorization to pay for the projects, according to Ed Haller, director of the city's Water Pollution Control division.
Phase 1 of the plant and pump station capital improvement plan is designed to refurbish both the South Leavitt and Main Avenue pump stations, install a new septic receiving station and refurbish the plant screen building and refurbish the balance of the primary settling tanks and clarifiers, as well as updating the process monitoring and electrical systems.
Other local communities receiving local grants are West Farmington, which is receiving $7.6 million to construct a new gravity collection system and an aeration treatment plant; and East Palestine in Columbiana County, which is receiving $61,000 to develop a water model of the village to determine sources of insufficient source quality and pressure throughout its system before replacing approximately 20,000 linear feet of waterline.
The communities are receiving millions in low-interest and principal forgiveness funding from Ohio EPA. The loans were approved between Oct. 1 and Dec. 31, 2020. The lower interest rates and principal forgiveness will save these communities more than $32 million.
The other eight communities receiving loans or being authorized to use funds are:
• The Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District, $43.8 million, for three projects, including the construction of a sewer to relieve surcharging conditions; construction of relief sewers; and the construction of the Westerly Tunnel Dewatering Pump station.
• Akron, $64.3 million for eight projects, including replacing the Quaker Ridge pump station; reconstruction of existing sanitary and combined sewers; completion of a study to replace lead and galvanized pipes.
• Summit County, $12.1 million for two projects, including the design of a vacuum sewer system and pump station to eliminate failing home sewage treatment systems.
• Louisville, $5.4 million to replace four raw sewage pumps, a force main and flow meter.
• Aqua Ohio, Inc., $3.8 million to extend the waterline from Green to New Franklin in Summit County.
• Lorain, $457,000, to increase the efficiency of the Martin's Run pump station.
• Fairview Park, $450,000, for a study to alleviate chronic wet weather basement flooding.
• Monroe Falls, $92,000, to upgrade a booster pump and replace a waterline.
These projects are being paid for through loans from the Water Pollution Control Fund, which helps communities improve their wastewater treatment systems.