City to sell water to Leetonia

The city also wants to sell water directly to the Elkton federal prison.
By D.A. WILKINSON
VINDICATOR SALEM BUREAU
SALEM -- The city plans to begin selling water to Leetonia and will bid to sell water directly to the federal prison in Elkton.
The city's utilities commission also plans a legal action to contest a state and federal water-quality requirement that could cost the city millions of dollars.
Geoffrey Goll, utilities commission chairman, told council's utilities committee about the commission's plans Monday.
Goll said Leetonia officials want to obtain Salem water as a backup to its aging water system.
The city now can provide up to 100,000 gallons a day to the village of Washingtonville. Utilities Superintendent Don Weingart said that Washingtonville uses about 60,000 to 80,000 gallons a day.
Weingart said it would be simple to run a waterline from Washingtonville to Leetonia. No date was set for the construction.
Environmental officials like communities to link water systems in case of emergency, he added. The proposal calls for Leetonia to take up to 400,000 gallons a day. Weingart did not know what the actual usage would be.
Leetonia customers, like other customers outside the city, would pay $2.83 per 1,000 gallons of water, which is reduced to $2.54 if the bill is paid by the 15th of each month.
Prison agreement
The city has been providing water to the federal prison in Elkton since it was built. Federal prison officials had arranged that city water be sold through the Columbiana County commissioners to the prison. The commissioners collect a surcharge of about $50,000 a year, Goll said.
The original agreement expired Sunday, and U.S. Rep. Ted Strickland of Lisbon, D-6th, has assured the utilities commission it can bid directly on water rates to the prison.
The city provides about 350,000 gallons a day to the prison.
When the contract's expiration date approached, the county commissioners indicated they wanted to retain the surcharge because of the county's tight finances.
As the expiration date approached, Goll said he had received "no letter, no call, no inquiry" from the commissioners.
Meanwhile, the U.S. and Ohio Environmental Protection agencies want water plants to limit phosphorus content in water to 1 milligram per liter. It would cost Salem $12 million to $15 million to comply, city officials said.
Goll said the city will file a challenge in federal court on whether there is any scientific basis for the EPA order. He said he expected the national and Ohio associations of water suppliers will join the action. They would not be plaintiffs or defendants, but they could file documents in the case indicating their beliefs.
wilkinson@vindy.com