TRUMBULL COUNTY Water company loses customers to Niles

Consumers Ohio says it will make a new offer to remain the water provider.
By STEPHEN SIFF
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
WARREN -- Trumbull County commissioners have cut their ties with Consumers Ohio Water Co. concerning water for customers in four county townships.
The move comes despite the company's intense lobbying effort and promises of greater things.
On Wednesday, commissioners gave the city of Niles a contract, which had been held by Consumers, to supply about 1.1 million gallons of water a day to the county water system for customers in Brookfield, Hubbard, Liberty and Vienna townships.
Savings
Consumers had netted $1.2 million a year in bulk water sales for those areas. Under rates negotiated with Niles, the expense is expected to drop to $600,000, said Thomas Holloway, county sanitary engineer.
Told about the agreement, Consumers president Walter Pishkur said his company would cut its rate even lower than that of Niles. Consumer's current contract with the county expires in 2004.
"If my company makes a better offer, I'm sure the commissioners will review it and look at it on its merits," he said.
Consumers has floated a number of proposals to keep the county's bulk-water business, including taking over and managing parts of the county-owned system.
Pishkur also had promised to extend water service in new areas if his company was permitted to own lines and bill customers.
Commissioners did pass a resolution, however, which could permit the private company to build two waterlines it has discussed with Liberty trustees.
There is a restriction, however, requiring that all waterlines be turned over for county ownership once they are finished.
The resolution would allow Liberty trustees to negotiate with a private company to build waterlines "after all avenues have been exhausted in the public domain."
Where they'd be
Consumers had told Liberty officials it would consider building lines along Church Hill Road, from Summit Street to Logan Way, 1,250 feet along Logan Way, and along Tibbets-Wick Road, from Belmont Avenue to Sampson Drive. The private company was to maintain ownership of the lines and send monthly bills to anyone who hooked up.
"If we are going to invest in a line, we are going to own it," Pishkur said.
This would not be possible without breaking a 20-year agreement with Girard, now in its third year, stating that new Liberty waterlines will become county property and move water only from Girard.
Liberty trustees also could not just give a company a contract to build waterlines, commissioners O'Brien and Angelo said.
"They have to bid it out, and Trumbull County has sole control of it," Angelo said.
Given the agreement with Girard, a private company building under the resolution would be little more than a contractor doing excavating -- a situation already permissible under the law.
"The next step is with the agreement [with Girard]," said Liberty Trustee Gary Litch. "They have to amend it."
siff@vindy.com