Cadiz receives update on water, sewer projects

The massive water and sewer project Cadiz has been taking on the past several years just received an in-depth update from E.L. Robinson’s manager for Business Development and Funding Bob Allen. He told council Feb. 12 that several issues with their water system need improving at the behest of the Environmental Protection Agency.

“Many of them the EPA has requested; others, it’s just obvious based on the operations of the water system,” Allen said.

He talked of adjustments and replacement equipment where the line runs from Tappan Lake to the plant in Cadiz. He was also puzzled by the 12-inch main line from Tappan Lake that changes to an 8- inch line less than a mile from the Cadiz plant. He said this was created when the system was designed years ago.

“So we’re recommending that you replace 2,885 linear feed of existing 8-inch line with a 12-inch PVC pipe,” Allen said.

Allen estimated the costs at $2,037,500 but there was good news in the fact that the village received a special USDA appropriation grant of $1,198,000 requiring a 25% match. He added that if the village is awarded an Ohio EPA Water Supply Revolving Loan Account then principal forgiveness funds and matching low interest loan funds could be used as the matching fund.

More improvement would need to be made, though, by replacing around 6,820 feet of 6-inch cast iron water line with 8-inch PVC on North Main Street. That estimated cost comes to $1,064,925. Other improvements include more replacement lines on Burton Drive and lower Lincoln Drive at a combined estimated cost of $457,225 with a total estimated cost for all water line replacements at $1,857,000.

The discussion then turned to a secondary water source and after several talks with EPA officials, were “asked” to have a secondary source. Allen said it might be raw or potable water but he added that it would be costly.

“Whatever that is I can tell you it’s going to be very, very expensive,” Allen told council.

Options that were not looked into with much depth were running a line from Cadiz to New Athens for connecting to Belmont County consisting of seven miles of line. Another option would be to install a second intake at Tappan Lake, which he also called expensive. He said another option was using the reservoirs and yet another option would be to drill wells, which led to a longer discussion.

“The drilling of wells may or may not be that expensive,” Allen said. “The problem there is do you get good water?”

A last option if the village were pressed would be to bring in water storage tanks but he called it “not desirable” because of administration of the tanks because that water can’t be allowed to just sit there unused. He said with wells ground and surface water don’t always work well together. Allen said the cost for all that he mentioned was around $4.6 million.

Allen reminded council that the village has been under Findings and Orders since 2012 on the wastewater system. Part of that means the village cannot connect new customers to that system as long as F&O are in place. He hoped those orders would be lifted after a March meeting with the EPA.

Contractor for the village water system Jim Jenkins said the village was in this situation because of circumstances he referenced from 2021.

“Unfortunately that’s where a lot of towns are at…what happened in the past, we’re paying for it now,” Jenkins said.

Councilmember Albert Peters referred back to the wells and said it’s been tested and has done fine hopefully getting away from “this fish water” where people won’t have to deal with bad odors, taste or clarity. When Allen said they hadn’t done a study on that it got testy with Peters countering that a study wasn’t necessary.

“You don’t have to, ask the village,” Peters shot back referring to the amount of complaints.

When Peters said the system was old after being connected to Tappan Lake, Allen said he wasn’t disputing that but Peters interrupted him and continued to push for putting the wells back in use and saving money on chemical usage.

Discussion turned deeper into tapping into wells for a water source, which eventually led Council member Sal Deluca’s motion to have flow testing on their two existing wells approved unanimously.