SEWER PROJECT First flush clears out leaking septic tanks

GIRARD -- With the flush of a toilet, the $3.4 million Shannon Road sanitary sewer project was officially opened.
The inaugural flushing ceremony was held at the end of Mohawk Court in Girard, where the sewer that will serve 200 Liberty Township households ties in to Girard's sewer system.
Officials actually used a toilet donated by Handyman Hardware in Niles to commemorate the event.
Who contributed
Gary Newbrough, Trumbull County sanitary engineer, said 17,000 feet of line was installed using funds provided by Liberty, Girard, the county, the state and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Newbrough said the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency had designated the area a health nuisance because of faulty septic tank systems.
Frank Migliozzi, county director of environmental health and Girard 1st Ward councilman, said the project will protect the water supply by stopping the seepage of sewage. It will also reduce the spread of disease, Migliozzi added.
Township Trustee Gary Litch explained that the project is an important addition to the area infrastructure. It and other projects, he asserted, will help lure development to the Mahoning Valley.
"This is a breath of fresh air, literally," commented Mayor James J. Melfi, noting that the malfunctioning septic systems caused an unbearable stench in the area -- summer and winter.
He also pointed out that raw sewage worked its way into the pond at Tod Park where bacteria was 10,000 times the allowable level, causing the pond to be filled in.
County Commissioner Daniel Polivka told the group of officials that gathered that people have the right to clean water and an affordable sewage system.