Water Treatment Plant Project Progressing

4-28-2010

Floyd Browne Group submitted the completed plans to the northwest district office of the OEPA on April 16, 2010.  The district staff will review the plans and offer comments prior to forwarding them onto the staff at the Columbus office.  The Village expects to receive OEPA approval by August 2010, at which point we hope to have a better handle on the funding package necessary to construct the plant.

1-25-2010

The Village of Spencerville and their consultant, Floyd Browne Group, began working on plans to develop a new water treatment plant for the Village to replace the existing system which consists of groundwater being aerated and chlorinated prior to being pumped to the consumers.  The new system selected consists of iron removal filters followed by nanofiltration membranes for softening.  The plans for the proposed water treatment plant improvements were originally approved by the Ohio EPA in March 2006, at which point the OEPA issued a Permit to Install.  That PTI is set to expire in 2011 if the Village does not proceed with the construction by that date.

The estimated cost of the project at that time was $4.5 million.  With the current debt service in the water fund and the overall economic condition of the country, Village Council felt that it was necessary to search for alternatives.  In 2008, the Village’s consultant for the water treatment plant, Floyd Browne Group, proposed a containerized plant that would be the same type of treatment; however, it would be built completely at the manufacturer and shipped to the Village in containers.  The estimated cost of this system is +/-$2 million, or nearly one-half the cost of the original design.  This will obviously make the project more affordable to the Village and its consumers.

The plans for the redesign of the plant, including the containerized design, should be finished by February 2010.  The completed plans will be submitted to the OEPA immediately for their review.  Initial meetings with the OEPA indicate that a new PTI will not be issued; we will be able to operate under the existing PTI which is slated to expire in 2011.  The OEPA has stated that we have the ability to request an extension to our current PTI if we are able to show progress and intent to construct the project.

The Village has submitted an application for funding through the United States Department of Agriculture – Rural Development.  If the Village is awarded funding from the USDA/RD, we will proceed accordingly with the construction of the new WTP.  Our target goal to begin construction is 2012.

To learn more about this project, please contact Jim Cave or Sean Chapman at 419-647-6263, jcave@spencervilleoh.com or schapman@spencervilleoh.com.