Lack of rainfall would hinder sewer study

WARREN — Though the lack of rain has reached drought proportions in some areas of the country, the Mahoning Valley is only beginning to see effects of the dry conditions.

But now the lack of rain might cost Trumbull County some money.

Gary Newbrough, county sanitary engineer, told county commissioners at their weekly planning meeting Tuesday the county needs two good rainfalls in the next 10 days for a storm water flow study to be completed on time.

The county agreed to pay URS Consultants of Akron $191,000 to analyze the county’s sanitary sewer system and determine the amount of storm water that is entering the system.

URS installed flow meters and rain gauges in the system and had planned to monitor flows from June 21 through July 20, Newbrough said.

But because there has been virtually no rainfall since June 21, the study has so far lacked the rainfall needed to complete all phases of the study.

The study will have to be extended, time-wise, if rainfall doesn’t occur before July 20, and that will cost more, Newbrough said.

“Normally there would have been enough rain,” Newbrough said.