MILTON TOWNSHIP Waterline project receives funding; start expected

A Lake Milton resident said the project will eliminate the area's unsafe and unsanitary conditions.
By BOB JACKSON
VINDICATOR COURTHOUSE REPORTER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Construction on $14.5 million water and sewer extension in Milton Township, nearly 10 years in the making, should start by the end of this year.
Township and Mahoning County officials were to announce final funding for the project this morning.
"We are so excited about this," said Howard Vayner, president of the Lake Milton Utilities Co-op. "We've been waiting a long time."
Joseph Warino, county sanitary engineer, said the project will extend county water and sewer lines to areas surrounding the east and west sides of Lake Milton.
It will include construction of a 1 million-gallon tank that will be used as a secondary water source for area residents. Waterlines will be extended into Milton Township from Jackson Township, he said.
The lines will eliminate the need for a small water treatment plant that serves Craig Beach and a small part of Milton Township, Warino said. Wells that feed the plant will be shut down.
Poor quality, quantity
Vayner said it's good news because both the quality and quantity of water in the area has been poor. The supply has been too low to facilitate any significant development, and the water requires substantial treatment to make it safe for drinking.
Extending the county sewer system into the area also will eliminate faulty private septic tanks, which Vayner said have been leaking for years, some of them draining directly into the lake.
"It's not a safe environment," he added.
When it's finished, the project will provide water and sewer service for some 1,300 homes, Warino said. Construction will take about two years.
The county learned this week that it has received a $3,488,000 grant and a $4,264,000 loan from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to help pay for the project, Warino said.
Other funding will come from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Ohio Public Works Agency and some local money, including a $500,000 community development block grant.
bjackson@vindy.com