New Athens looking ahead to costly sewer plant repairs

“We have a nice little town here,” said Mayor Joe Petro.

The small village, located halfway between Cadiz and St. Clairsville, has a population of just over 200. While beloved by residents, New Athens often struggles with a small budget and big projects.

Two years ago, an abandoned house on Main Street burned down. “It took months and months,” Petro said. He tried many times to contact the homeowner to no avail. “We tried to get the bank to put liens against that property. That took forever. Then I thought, maybe Brownfield will take care of it. No. We tried a couple other avenues.”

Eventually, the village decided to handle it themselves. The excavating company Dig It Man put in a reasonable bid to clean up the property. The cost was added to the property taxes. Now the lot is cleared, and Petro hopes someone will build a new home there.

Paving projects were recently completed. The budget allowed for two truckloads of asphalt, which covered the road by the firehouse and part of one alley near Main Street.

“Blackie’s from Cadiz did a good job,” Petro said.

The village council currently has four members, and Petro encourages residents to join.

“We have one meeting the second Monday of the month,” he said, noting it is not a large time commitment but is important for bringing different voices and backgrounds to the table.

Residents interested in becoming a council member can call Petro at 740-238-1253.

Looking ahead, the largest project is the sewer plant.

“We are going to need a grant or take out a loan,” Petro said. “We’ve had issues down there from day one. It’s gonna be expensive. The EPA was here and they looked at the flow rate, saying the flow rate is high.”

The plant has two processing tanks, each with a 35,000-gallon capacity. Petro said the village needs less than half that space.

“Our daily flow this morning was 11,000,” he said. “One day there was a flow of 36,000 in sewage. It rained and somehow the rain got in and increased the amount. Everyone has that problem.”

The EPA monitors the plant remotely and recently sent a representative to check in. The official told Petro the second tank must be brought online.

But that is not a simple fix. Over the years, parts from the unused tank have been repurposed for the working tank, to the point there is no control panel left for the idle one.

Petro estimates the cost will start at $50,000, not including ongoing maintenance. He is awaiting a letter from the EPA that will outline more detailed requirements.