Sewer upgrade to save lakes would take 7 years

YOUNGSTOWN — Even if the city were to get a grant for the full $146 million cost of upgrading its sewer system, including eliminating combined storm and sanitary-sewer discharges into Mill Creek and other waterways, the project would take at least seven years to complete, according to Mayor John A. McNally.

“In terms of the park, it will be a tremendous mess,” during construction, he said, referring to Mill Creek Park. “We’ve tried to minimize what could be some damage to the park through construction efforts,” he said. “There’s no easy solution,” he added.

Under an agreement between the city and the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, the work is to be completed by 2033, and the mayor said the city would follow that schedule because of the need to finance the project over the long-term and keep it affordable for sanitary-sewer system users.

If the city were to receive no grants or loans for the project, and the sewer users had to pay the entire cost, that cost likely could be paid by continued sewer rate increases after 2018 at the current rate of about 4 percent annually to complete the project in 2033, the mayor said.

For the complete story, read Thursday's Vindicator and Vindy.com