COLUMBIANA COUNTY Sewer project set to begin after approval from USDA

The project may take a year to complete.
By D.A. WILKINSON
VINDICATOR SALEM BUREAU
LISBON -- The plan to install a sewer system in Winona is back on.
Troy Graft, the chief engineer for the Columbiana County Engineer's Office, said work will begin as soon as the U.S. Department of Agriculture approves the final paperwork.
Graft said Thursday he wasn't sure how long that will take, but said the county wants to begin work as soon as possible.
Construction of the system may take about a year, Graft estimated.
Work could continue during winter, depending on the severity of the weather.
The line will provide service to about 100 homes, buildings and churches in Winona in Butler Township. The line will run south along Whinnery Road to the county's sewage treatment plant at Guilford Lake in Hanover Township.
Risks
The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency ordered that the sewer system be installed because aging and leaking septic tanks posed a pollution and health risk.
The project was set to begin last year until there was glitch. The USDA, which provided part of the funding, wanted to buy the easement. The line will travel across part of Guilford Lake State Park, and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources wanted to lease the land.
The USDA and ODNR finally came to an agreement on a lease, Graft said.
The funding has changed since last year, Graft said.
The funding will also include a $600,000 Community Development Block Grant from the state, which was first set at $500,000. The county's CDBG program will also provide a $214,000 grant to the project.
The USDA has approved a $595,000 low-interest loan. It will repaid by the property owners with a monthly sewer bill of $44. The USDA has also approved a $397,000 rural development grant.
wilkinson@vindy.com