Staff photo / Bob Coupland Trumbull County Sanitary Engineer Gary Newbrough discusses the next phase of a waterline extension project to benefit residents of Braceville and Southington at a Wednesday meeting at Southington schools complex. More than 100 people attended to learn about the projects and costs with work to begin this summer and be completed by March 2027. Newbrough shows a map of where the waterline extensions will be.

SOUTHINGTON — The Blueprint to Prosperity waterline distribution improvement project, which had its first phase completed in 2020, will see work on the second phase begin in July.

More than 100 people attended a public hearing Wednesday at Southington Chalker High School, where the Trumbull County commissioners and other county officials discussed the next phase and what the costs will be for residents who want a service connection to the new waterlines.

Commissioner Tony Bernard said the $9.083 million project will provide residents of Southington and Braceville with a safe and reliable source of drinking water. The original Blueprint to Prosperity project had waterlines extended from Newton Falls to West Farmington.

William Makosky, Trumbull County assistant sanitary engineer, said the second phase was originally part of the original Blueprint project, but the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency had a limit on the amount of available grant money, so the county removed some of the waterlines from the original project.

Officials said funding was inadequate to provide public water service to all who requested it.

Makosky said there were three dead-end lines on state Route 534, Helsey Fusselman Road and Herner Countyline Road that were not completed in the first phase but will be in the second phase.

“The county is moving forward with Phase 2 of the water regionalization project, which includes these areas,” Makosky said.

Project designs were done by Burgess and Niple for $450,000, which was paid for by American Rescue Plan funds.

Makosky said the county also was awarded $4 million from the Water Supply Revolving Loan Program principal forgiveness for the next project and $4 million from a WSRLA 0% loan. He said bids for the project are expected in April for the July project start.

PROJECT DETAILS

Trumbull County Sanitary Engineer Gary Newbrough said the project includes 43,300 linear feet of waterlines, 50 fire hydrants and 200 service connection assemblies that will make water available to 275 properties.

Newbrough said Warren will be the bulk water provider for the project. He said a decision was made to get the water from Warren and not Newton Falls. The area includes sections of state Route 82, Leiby Osborne Road and State Route 534.

The project is targeted to begin in July and be completed by March 2027.

He said the project is voluntary for residents, but for those residents who want a connection, the fee for the curb box connection is $650.

Newbrough said the capital charge for the project, which will be used to retire the system debt, will be the same as the first phase at $20.82 per month.

He said the estimated monthly water bill per 1,000 gallons plus a flat capital charge of $20.82 will bring a property owner who uses 2,000 gallons of water to a monthly bill of $61.07.

Newbrough said the $9.083 million project has $700,000 in contingency funding, which is 10% of the construction costs and money through grants and loan programs.

“This project is a whopper,” he said.

At the public hearing no one spoke against the project.

“If you say you don’t want anything to do with water, we’ll just go right past your house,” Newbrough said.

Rod Hedge with the Trumbull County Combined Health District said those properties that do connect to the waterline and have a private water supply such as a well or cistern will have to have it sealed. He said he does the inspections to make sure the wells are safe.

Several residents who have farm animals asked if they could keep their wells for agricultural purposes for the animals and they were told they could.

Resident Gary M. Dutchnak of Helsey Fusselman Road in Southington asked if there could be a phase 3 of the project, noting the area of Helsey Fusselman Road between U.S. Route 422 and Leiby Osborne Road is not part of phase 2.

Newrough recommended to the residents in that section of Helsey Fusselman Road to petition for that area in the future.

The county commissioners have approved taking the project under advisement.

Anyone with additional comments on the project can send it to Trumbull County commissioners, 160 High St. NW, Warren, OH 44482 by March 20.