Public hearings warranted on water district’s troubles

To appreciate the serious- ness of the recent disturbing news emanating from the Mahoning Valley Sanitary District, it’s important to remember that about 200,000 customers depend on the drinking water from the purification plant.

Thus, when the four members of the district’s board of directors talk about the urgent need to find a chief engineer to operate the plant in Mineral Ridge and reveal that there are cracks in the Meander Dam and in 15 MVSD buildings, the public has a right to the information first-hand.

Since the MVSD actually is a creation of the cities of Youngstown and Niles, which own Meander Reservoir, the source of the drinking water, we believe that the mayors and city councils of those communities must become directly involved in planning for the future.

Each city appoints two members to the MVSD’s board of directors, and while the elected officials have generally taken a hands-off approach to the operation of the water purification facility, there are times when their direct involvement is demanded.

Such a time is now.

We believe that public hearings in Youngstown and Niles are necessary so water customers can hear from MVSD board members and Chief Engineer Tom Holloway, whose last day on the job is Jan. 22.

Holloway had retired after serving several stints as chief engineer but then returned to the position a year ago. His new contract called for him to stay until June 30, 2017, but he gave the board a 30-day notice last month, citing personal reasons.

Holloway came out of retirement after Anthony Vigorito, who replaced him, failed to earn a Class IV license and professional engineer certification. The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency requires the Class IV license to operate water purification plants, while the MVSD mandates PE certification for engineering approvals and grant applications.

Options

One option being explored by the MVSD board is the hiring of a company to operate the water purification plant. The other is to conduct a search for an individual with the proper credentials and experience.

Before Holloway’s return, the board had considered offering the job to MS Consultants of Youngstown.

Given that the 90-year-old water district has not in recent memory had an outside firm operate the purification plant, the mayors and lawmakers in Youngstown and Niles and the public should have a chance to express their opinions.

Public hearings would not only facilitate an exchange of ideas, but would generate questions that MVSD officials may not have considered.

While there is some urgency in finding a replacement for Holloway, the front page story in Monday’s Vindicator about cracks in the Meander Dam and the district’s 15 building is just as compelling.

Indeed, from a public welfare standpoint, the possible danger inherent in the deterioration of the physical plant would undoubtedly be of greater concern to the drinking-water users than the search for someone to run things.

A study being conducted by a Columbus firm, Gannett Fleming Engineers and Architects, is expected to reveal the reason for the cracking.

The big questions: Are earthquakes the cause of the deterioration? If so, were they triggered by the increase in oil and gas exploration, or were they caused naturally?

There could be other possible explanations for the cracks, such as faulty cement used in the construction of the dam and buildings or the land settling.

The dam and many of the buildings were constructed in the 1920s.

Atty. Matt Blair, chairman of the board of directors, and Holloway won’t render an opinion as to the cause, but they concede that there is “a lot of cracking,” in Blair’s words.

“We have a lot of cracking in our dam, and we have a lot of cracking in our buildings,” Blair told The Vindicator. “Brick buildings are cracking, even new ones.”

Drinking-water customers need to be reassured not only that there isn’t a danger of an interruption of service, but that the proposed $28 million reconstruction of the dam would provide a long-term solution.