DAMASCUS Sewer work contractor to be hired

Columbiana County is helping foot the bill because some of its residents are served by the project.
By BOB JACKSON
VINDICATOR COURTHOUSE REPORTER
YOUNGSTOWN -- The second phase of a sewer project in Damascus was to be kicked off today with the hiring of a contractor.
Mahoning County commissioners are expected to award a $548,530 contract to Utility Contracting of Meridian Road during their meeting tonight in Damascus.
The company will expand a sewage collection system that was built earlier this year and ties in to a new sewer plant.
"This is the second phase of that project and should finish the job," said Bill Coleman of the sanitary engineer's office.
The project was originally set for construction in July 2000 but had to be postponed several times because bids from contractors exceeded the amount of grant funding that had been secured for the work.
Eventually the project was split into two parts, with the first phase including construction of an 80,000-gallon-per-day treatment plant at a cost of $1.1 million, and also a collection system costing $492,000.
The first phase, which is now operating, serves about 200 homes in Damascus, Ellsworth Township and parts of Columbiana County, Coleman said.
Columbiana County commissioners are helping fund the project since some of the residents to be served live in that county. Damascus straddles the two counties.
The Ohio Public Works Commission is providing a $422,369 grant, and Mahoning County is contributing $126,162. Columbiana County will reimburse Mahoning about $40,000, Coleman said. He said Columbiana County chipped in $72,000 for the first phase.
The second phase will service 50 to 100 households on First, French, Third, Floral and Walnut streets and Academy Lane, Coleman said.
Diehl Lake project
Another sewer project, this one at Diehl Lake in Ellsworth Township, was also recently completed and will be unveiled next week. County commissioners will meet at 6 p.m. Oct. 24 at the Diehl Lake clubhouse to ceremoniously unveil that project.
The Diehl Lake system is to replace a series of leaking faulty septic tanks in that area, many of which had been leaking into the lake, which feeds Meander Reservoir.
It will serve about 40 homes along the lake's south shore and about 55 new homes that are expected to be built in a development on the north side of the lake.