TRUMBULL COUNTY Possible water deal gets a nod

The commissioners would have to vote again to approve any contract.
By STEPHEN SIFF
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
WARREN -- Trumbull County commissioners have given the sanitary engineer permission to negotiate with Niles to buy bulk water for consumers in the northeastern part of the county.
The sanitary engineer now buys water from Consumers Water of Ohio for those customers under a contract set to expire in 2004.
In recent months, the private water company has put forward a number of offers to keep that business, worth roughly $1 million a year.
Proposals have included buying the county-owned lines that distribute water to parts of Brookfield, Hubbard, Vienna, Liberty and Howland townships, or taking over operation of the system under a long-term agreement.
Most recently, the company offered to slash the amount it charges Trumbull County for its water by 27 percent. Company president Walter Pishkur could not be reached Friday.
Niles' offer
Niles has offered to sell the water for a good deal less than Consumers, even after factoring in the cost of new lines to deliver it, said sanitary engineer Tom Halloway.
"I think Halloway said it was the cheaper way to go, so we will go with it," said Commissioner James Tsagaris. "As long as people in Trumbull County get water, I have no problem."
It would take another vote by commissioners to actually finalize a contract. Niles has offered to charge $1.54 per 1,000 gallons for the first 10 years of an agreement, he said. Consumers is charging the county $3.05 per 1,000 gallons.
Savings would be passed on to consumers, Halloway said.
The water sold by Niles comes from the Mahoning Valley Sanitary District, which is jointly operated by Niles and Youngstown.
The sanitary engineer had previously recommended that the county buy water for the area from Youngstown, which offered a better rate than what the county is paying now.
That offer was undercut by a March proposal from Consumers.
It is not clear what impact this development will have on Consumers' proposal to extend waterlines on two roads in Liberty.
siff@vindy.com