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Jefferson County seeks state aid for new Smithfield water tower

STEUBENVILLE — Jefferson County commissioners on Thursday signed a grant application with the Ohio Public Works Commission as part of the funding to replace the Smithfield water tower.

Michael Eroshevich, county water and sewer department director, said the county is seeking $300,000 for the state public works commission. The county already received a $150,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture for the water tower. The county also is applying for a $500,000 Community Development Block Grant, Residential Public Infrastructure Grant.

Eroshevich said the replacement of the tower is estimated at $1.8 million. The county could pay for one-half of the project with grants if all the funding is received.

The current tower, built in 1938, is capable of holding 100,000 gallons of water but it is only kept half full because adding more water would cause too much pressure and lead to more leaks, Eroshevich said. The new tank will hold 200,000 gallons of water.

The tank provides water to 590 customers in Smithfield, Piney Fork and Dillonvale Ridge.

The county took over the operations of the Smithfield water system in February 2013.

Eroshevich said the county is in the process of negotiating with property owners for the site of the new tank.

Once the grant process is complete, the county will finalize plans for the water tower and bid the project. Eroshevich said it will take a year to construct the new water tower.

The county has water towers throughout the system that can hold between 75,000 and 1.5 million gallons of water.

Commissioners also agreed to re-appoint Commissioner Thomas Graham as the county’s representative to the state public works commission program. Graham will be authorized to sign any paperwork involving funding from the public works commission

Graham announced the board thought it had an appointee to the Jefferson Metropolitan Housing Authority to replace David Hindman, who resigned, but the prospective appointee denied the appointment. Graham noted commissioners now will interview any other interested persons for the position.

Commissioners approved attorney fees for indigent criminal defendants for October in the amount of $29,268.

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