Residents receive update on waterline, sewer work

Waterline tap-in is optional, but sanitary sewer tap-in is mandatory.
By SEAN BARRON
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
LAKE MILTON -- It has taken about six years for a waterline project to pass various design and clearance inspections, but it may take only a matter of months to complete the hands-on work.
As this year progresses, more residents who live on or near Lake Milton will find themselves being able to tap into newly completed water and sanitary sewer lines.
Those were some of the main messages heard by 75 to 80 people who attended Tuesday's special water and sewer projects meeting at the American Legion Post 737 Lounge. The session gave residents an update on how the work is progressing and allowed them an opportunity to ask questions and voice concerns.
Joseph V. Warino of the Mahoning County Sanitary Engineer's office said that the $5.2 million waterline project is 85 percent to 90 percent finished. Initial tie-ins should be ready to get under way by late January or early February, he predicted.
Work on the sanitary sewer project could start in mid-February and wrap up in June or July, he noted.
Water optional
Warino noted that North East River Road and surrounding areas have sanitary sewer lines but no water, and that South East River Road has neither. Water tap-ins are optional for homeowners, whereas tap-ins for the sanitary sewers are mandatory, he continued.
Most of the cost for both projects is from a U.S. Department of Agriculture grant. Other funding sources include the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as well as state Issue 2 money and local revenue, Warino said.
Kelly Hettrick, a community program specialist with the agriculture department, said it should take several contractors at least four months to finish the $7.3 million sanitary sewer work.
Hettrick noted that financial assistance is available to help certain residents with tap-in and connections fees. A 1 percent 20-year loan is designed for low-income people 65 years old and younger. For those over 65 and on low income, a grant is available that will pay the two fees, he pointed out.
A base permit fee for waterlines in a typical single-family home is $1,500, which includes a meter; the sewer tap-in and connection fee for an average single-family residence is $1,300.
Work in phases
Warino told the audience that work on the waterlines, which should be finished in March or April, is operating in phases and that letters will be sent to residents after tests are done to ensure the water's safety. Homeowners should wait to receive a letter from the sanitary engineer's office before applying for a tap-in permit, Warino noted.
Residents can fill out a permit application online by visiting www.mc-se.com. Applications for water and sewer permits should be finished no later than late February, Hettrick said.