Trustees vote for Buckeye water

Salem has been providing water to some areas for years.
By D.A. WILKINSON
VINDICATOR SALEM BUREAU
LISBON -- The standoff over providing water in portions of Columbiana County has taken another twist.
Alfred DeAngelis, the district manager for the Buckeye Water District, has told Salem not to provide water in Center Township.
Don Weingart, Salem's utilities superintendent, said Salem has been providing water to some customers in Center and other townships since the 1950s and 1960s.
That service is provided on the line that runs from the reservoir to the city.
The city's water reservoir straddles part of the Salem and Center Township line.
The city had been providing water to the federal prison in Elkrun Township for 10 years under an agreement with the Columbiana County commissioners.
The commissioners bought the water, added a small surcharge and sold it to the prison.
The city tried to sell water directly to the prison when the contract expired until the county found an agreement with the city that required it to provide water.
Then the commissioners awarded the water contract to Buckeye. The city lost about 275,000 a year and has been trying to figure out how to recoup its loss.
DeAngelis said Wednesday that the Center Township trustees have voted to obtain water from Buckeye.
Similar agreements
Six other townships have signed similar agreements. They are Yellow Creek, Liverpool, St. Clair, Madison, Washington and Elkrun Township.
DeAngelis said those townships, along with Wellsville, make up the area legally serviced by Buckeye.
He said that as an example, if Unity Township wanted to get water from Buckeye, the trustees would have to approve such an agreement.
Buckeye is building a water treatment plant that will eventually take water from the Ohio River.
DeAngelis said the new plant would be expanded if a proposed coal to liquid fuel plant in Wellsville is expanded.
The commissioners want to build new county facilities to replace aging offices and promote economic development. Salem is also interested in keeping businesses and attracting more.
Commissioner Jim Hoppel said that the county would be interested in buying water from Salem, but not in Salem providing the lines or service.
But the city already has about six customers in Center Township, about 30 in Salem Township and about 10 in Butler Township.
Weingart said that the property owners tapped into the line in return for property easements to the city when it installed the line.
It's not clear if Salem lawyers could argue that the city does have rights to expand service because its customers predate the water district.
Weingart also questioned why any county customers should have to pay any county surcharges on water when they could pay a lower rate from Salem.
wilkinson@vindy.com