HUBBARD — Hubbard will replace the sewer system that serves Hubbard High and Middle School, a project that will benefit 3,117 people.

Gov. Mike DeWine and state officials said Ohio will award $114 million in grants to support 70 critical water infrastructure projects in 58 counties.

The grants are part of the fourth round of the Ohio BUILDS (Broadband, Utilities and Infrastructure for Local Development Success) water infrastructure program. Since its establishment, the program has provided more than $360 million to support 253 local water projects impacting every county in the state, the officials said.

The city of Hubbard will receive a $276,497 grant for a sanitary sewer system improvement project.

Recent investigations have determined the existing sanitary sewer has reached the end of its useful life and is at high risk of failure and collapse. The system serves both Hubbard High School and Hubbard Middle School and a failure of the existing sewer could result in significant disruptions to school operations because of sewage backups.

The project will replace approximately 600 linear feet of sewer line and make improvements to three of the existing sanitary sewers lift stations.

The city of East Liverpool in Columbiana County will receive a $1.9 million grant for improvements to the city’s wastewater treatment plant. The project will make multiple improvements to remediate EPA violations at the plant.

The improvements will prevent wastewater from discharging into the Ohio River during wet weather events and allow for proper treatment of future sanitary sewer extensions. The project will benefit 11,800 people.

“Ohio is the heart of opportunity, and for our state to continue to thrive, we must ensure that more communities have steady access to reliable, clean water,” DeWine said. “My administration is committed to supporting as many local communities as possible with water projects that will improve quality of life and give residents more opportunities to live up to their God-given potential.”

The grants will help reduce or eliminate the local financial burden associated with critical 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 sewer system backups, and extend sewer lines to allow for economic growth.

“Good infrastructure is vital for economic development and quality of life,” Lt. Gov. Jon Husted said. “With these additional projects, we’re able to expand our infrastructure to support development for businesses and housing for Ohioans.”

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.